The In Between
by pegasusdmac
Summary: How did Jason deal with Piper's death? When did Rachel give up the Oracle and why? Why did Thalia leave the Hunt? These questions and more answered in this collection of drabbles that takes place between The First Legion Series and Heroes and Legacies.
1. The Truth

**AN: This is a collection of drabbles that will reveal what happened to the characters from _The First Legion Series_ after _The Gigantomachy_. The timeline is between _The First Legion Series _and _Heroes and Legacies._ Readers were left with questions at the end of _TFLS_ and the beginning of _H&L_: how did Jason deal with Piper's death, and why did she have to die? Why did Thalia leave the Hunt? When did Rachel give up the spirit of the Oracle? What ever happened to Reyna and Dakota and Leo and Hazel? These questions and more will be answered in this collection. **

**This fic will be updated sporadically throughout the duration of _H&L_, so be sure to alert it. Also, if you haven't read my series', you may be lost reading these drabbles.**

**Another note: many of these will be songfics, which I've never written before, so we'll see how it goes. The chapter title denotes the song title. **

**Thanks for reading.**

**-dmac**

The Truth

Jason

The floor was cold and hard, and the stench of vomit filled the small room. The scene was an all too familiar one. I couldn't tell you how many times I've passed out hugging the toilet in the last few years; more times than I haven't, that's for sure. I don't know whose bathroom I was in: a sleazy motel's, my crack dealer's, that whore's from over on 3rd? Like it mattered; at least it wasn't the drunk tank at the county jail. Oh, yes, I've woken up there plenty of times.

I sat up and leaned my back against the wall, knocking an empty vodka bottle around and pulling a needle out of my arm in the process. No wonder I didn't know where I was. My head throbbed like I had lightning bolts bouncing around between my ears, which might've been the case. My stomach suddenly flipped, and back to the toilet I went. I heaved and heaved so fiercely that I thought my eyeballs were going to pop out of my head. There was nothing to throw up; I haven't eaten in days, and what booze was in my stomach, I'd thrown up sometime during the night. So, I dry heaved until the nausea subsided, then returned to my spot against the wall. I closed my eyes to block the blinding sun that was shining through the small window, but they shot back open when I heard a voice that I never expected to hear again.

"Jason," she said.

I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't slow my racing heart. All I could do was stare and let a tear escape the corner of my eye.

"Oh, Jason," she sighed as she knelt down beside me. "Look at you."

I didn't have to look down at myself to know that my already filthy shirt was covered in vomit, that I'd wasted away to a mere hundred and thirty pounds, that I haven't showered or shaved in days, or that I hadn't had a haircut since I can't remember when.

"What's happened to you?" she asked, her voice heartbroken.

What a stupid question. She knew full well what happened to me. She left me. She died on me. That's what happened. I couldn't deal with the pain, so I found ways to make it disappear. I guess I got that from my mother, the using-to-deal mechanism.

"What are you doing here?" I finally choked out.

"A lot of people are worried about you: your friends, your sister, your father."

I shook my head, "My father doesn't give a damn about me."

"He wouldn't have sent me here to talk to you if he didn't care. He wouldn't ask a favor from Hades for just anyone, you know?"

I blinked, "My father asked Pluto to let your ghost out of the Underworld?"

And she was a ghost. I knew that when I first opened my eyes. Her skin was iridescent and shimmered in the sunlight. She was nearly translucent; I could almost see right through her.

"He can't intervene directly, you know that. It would _set a bad example_," she rolled her eyes with annoyance at the god's reasoning.

I was irritated that anyone would want to _intervene_ in my life. They had no right. This was my business, no one else's…not even hers. "Well, you can go back and tell my father-"

"Tell him what, Jason?" she interrupted. "Tell him you're strung out, tell him you've become an addict like your mother was, tell him you've lost all respect for yourself? And what am I supposed to tell your friends and your sister, the people who love you?"

I rubbed my still pounding head; I didn't want to deal with this right now. "Make something up. Tell them I'm on vacation out here on the west coast. Tell them I've made some really good friends, and I'm doing fine. Tell them anything you want to, just don't tell them the truth."

She stared into my eyes with that pressing gaze of hers, "And what exactly is the truth?"

The truth…I've never actually said it out loud. That just makes it real. I'm not in denial, at least, I don't think I am. I know what I've become since I walked out of Camp Half-Blood four years ago. I just don't want anyone else knowing.

"I've gone crazy," I actually said it. "I'm strung out over you, over your death. I've lost control. I couldn't cope with losing you. And I don't want anyone to know about it."

A tear rolled down her iridescent cheek. I hated telling her this was her fault, though, it's not really her fault. It's just because of her, because of what happened to her and the way I felt about her.

"You're asking me to lie to the people who care about you the most, the people who want to help you?"

"Yes, I'm asking you to lie. I'm asking you to do this one thing for me. I know it's not right, but you know why I'm asking you to do it," my voice cracked with emotion. "So, if you ever loved me, Piper, please have some mercy on me."

She was crying now, which broke my heart. All I ever wanted was to see her again, but not like this. Not like this.

"Why won't you let them help you, Jason?"

"Because they can't help me!" I yelled in frustration. "I'm beyond help."

She shook her head, "Don't say that. That's not true."

"That's the absolute truth," anger and certainty resounded in my voice. "There's only one person who could've ever helped me, and that's you. I still need you, still love you…that's the truth, but not even you can help me now. The only thing you can do for me is tell everyone I'm fine."

She touched her shimmering hand to my cheek and looked at me with sympathetic eyes, "You know I can't do that."

I closed my eyes and leaned into her touch, "I know."

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any songs, lyrics, or titles used in this fic.**


	2. Remind Me Pt 1

**AN: This is for all of you who love Reyna and Dakota from _The First Legion Series._ This drabble will be 3-parts and spans the entire history of the characters and their relationship. This may very well be the last time readers see these two characters, as I don't plan to include them in _H&L_ (although, those plans could change.) Contains fluff, so for all of you Rakota fangirls, enjoy!**

**Be aware this is NOT Reyna and Dakota from _HoO_. They are NOT canon. These are the OCs from _TFLS_. I created these characters long before _SoN_.**

**-dmac**

Remind Me

Part 1

Dakota and Reyna

I was seven when Lupa escorted the blond-haired, blue-eyed girl into camp.

"What are you looking at?" the girl scowled at me, and I knew at that moment she was going to be a handful, but I also knew she and I were going to get along great.

"You have a booger hanging out of your nose," I smirked as I walked alongside her and Lupa.

She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, "I do not."

I looked at her closely, "Nope, you got it. I'm Dakota, by the way."

"Reyna."

"Nice to meet you."

"Come, Reyna, lets get you settled in," Lupa said as they began to walk off and leave me.

Reyna looked back at me, "See you around, Kota."

"It's _Dakota_."

She waved her hand without looking back, "Whatever."

…

Tonight was the night, I'd decided. Tonight I was going to tell her how I felt about her, and if, gods willing, she felt the same way about me, I was going to ask her to be my girlfriend.

I caught up with her after dinner, "Hey, Reyna, did you hear there's going to be a meteor shower tonight?"

"Yeah, it's supposed to be a good one, too."

"So, I found this really great spot in the vineyard to watch it. You wanna come along?"

She smiled, "I'd love to."

We walked to the southern field, and I spread a blanket out on the ground there underneath the stars. We lied down on the blanket and stared up at the sky.

"When's it supposed to start?" she asked.

I looked at my watch, "In just a few minutes."

We pointed at the night's sky, naming the constellations until the stars started falling. I'd seen meteor showers before, but this one was particularly impressive.

"Wow," she gasped, and I turned to see the biggest, brightest smile on her face.

Gods, I loved that girl, no doubt about it. She took my breath away. The meteor shower had nothing on her.

When the stars finally stopped falling, she turned to me, "Did you make a wish?"

"A wish?"

"Yeah, on a falling star."

I smiled, "I sure did. Did you?"

She nodded.

"What did you wish for?" I asked her.

"If I tell you, it won't come true."

I took a deep breath. It was now or never. "Reyna, can I tell you something?"

She turned on her side and propped herself up on her elbow, "What is it, Kota?"

"You and I have been pretty much best friends for a long time now, and I really care about you…a lot, but I don't want to be just friends anymore; I want us to be more than that," I told her, and I think she tried to say something, but I was on a roll. There was no stopping me now. "I want to hold your hand when we walk through camp, I want to kiss you goodnight, I want to tell you how much you mean to me even though you already know, and I wished upon a falling star tonight that you felt the same way."

She was silent, and I thought I'd blown it. Not only was she not going to be my girlfriend, but I could've just lost one of my best friends. I stared at her, hoping for some kind of sign, and I finally got it in the form of a smirk on her face, "Well, it's about time you asked me out."

She raised her hand and put it on the back of my neck, and when she leaned in and kissed me, it was all over; I was whooped. I was hers, and that's all I ever wanted.

…

It was cold, bitter cold. Every time we took a step, we sank nearly up to our knees in snow, and it was still snowing. Winters in Yosemite are harsh, and this winter was no exception. My lungs felt like they were shredding, not only from the cold, but also from being so out of breath. Kota was heavy, and he had nearly all his weight leaning on me as I helped him walk through the snow. His leather armor that was supposed to protect his chest had two gaping gashes in it, and blood was dripping from them. With each step I helped him take, drops of his blood painted the snow red.

The boar we were sent here to exterminate was meaner and tougher than we'd anticipated, and the conditions didn't help matters. The boar got the jump on me, and Kota rushed in to protect me. When he did, the boar buried its tusks into Kota's chest. It scared me to death. I thought I'd lost him right then, but he somehow managed to get to his feet, and together, we killed the beast.

We trudged through the snow looking for a cave for shelter, and finally, just before it was too dark out to see, I spotted a shallow cave carved into the mountainside. I hoped it wouldn't be inhabited by a bear or a cougar, and luckily it wasn't. I helped Kota into the cave and sat him against the rock wall. He winced in pain, and I could tell he was near passing out from the loss of blood.

The first thing I had to do, before I could even attempt to heal his wounds was start a fire. We were both right on the edge of frostbite and hypothermia. Once I gathered some dry wood and kindling and started a fire, I spread a blanket out on the cave floor and grabbed my med kit from my pack. I then turned my attention to Kota; he was still conscious, but barely. I removed my jacket and armor so I could work easier, then I slowly and gently removed his jacket and armor and cut his shirt off him with my dagger. The boar had opened him up pretty deep. I dug through my med kit and took out the only two squares of ambrosia I had and made Kota eat one of them. He was still sitting on the cave floor with his back against the wall when I positioned myself on his lap, straddling him, so to speak. I knew I'd have to hold him down, because this was going to hurt…a lot. We both knew what was coming; this wasn't the first time I'd healed his injuries.

I took a deep breath then placed my hands on the puncture wounds on his chest. He screamed and screamed and screamed, and tears rolled down my cheeks. I hated seeing him in so much pain and knowing I was the one causing it. I could feel the wounds closing under my hands, and I could feel his blood pressure and temperature rising. I was breathing heavily and dripping with sweat. Healing is a nice power to have, but it takes a lot out of me. Kota's screaming quieted and his breathing steadied. In only a few short minutes he was completely healed. I removed my shaky hands from his chest, and the only thing left of two deep punctures was two tiny pink scars. I broke my remaining square of ambrosia in two, half for him and half for me.

I was still sitting on his lap when he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. He held me in his trembling arms while we both cried. He whispered in my ear, telling me he loved me, and I told him I loved him, too. Kota and I had been together for a year and a half now, and this wasn't the first time we'd said I love you, but this time…this time was different. The words seemed to have a new meaning, a deeper meaning.

He rested his forehead against mine and looked deep into my eyes. His dark brown eyes had a softness that was rarely seen in a son of the war god, but Kota had always been different that way. He was disciplined and fierce when it came to battle, but he was charming and caring when it came to people, especially me. He'd been my best friend since I was six years old, and he'd always taken care of me, even when I made it so hard for him. I can be pretty stubborn and have a bad attitude sometimes, but he was so patient with me. He was perfect, and I knew from the beginning that I'd found my soul mate in him.

He raised his hands, gripping my cheeks and neck, and wiped a tear from my face with his thumb. When he softly kissed my lips, countless emotions washed over me. Happiness, love, devotion, and yearning filled my heart. We held each other close as our kisses became deeper and more passionate. He trailed his lips down my neck as I ran my fingers through his short, black hair. He pulled his lips away from my jaw line and looked into my eyes. He didn't have to say anything. I knew the silent question he was asking: are you sure you're ready? At that moment, I'd never been so sure about anything in all my life. A smile graced my lips as I nodded to tell him yes. He lifted me up and carried me over to the blanket that I'd spread out near the campfire. He laid me down gently and brushed my hair out of my face.

Kota and I made love for the first time in that cave in Yosemite during a freezing blizzard. As bad as the day had gone, it ended in the most incredible way possible.

…

I was on a scouting mission near Mount Tam on a cool and rainy day when the goddess appeared. I couldn't imagine what the goddess of love wanted to talk to me about, but I immediately got the feeling it wasn't about the impending battle with the titan Krios. What she told me was worse than anything she could've said about war. The woman who loves me will have a hard and tragic life, one filled with grief and death…that's what she told me. She was talking about Reyna, and the way Venus said the word death, it was like she was talking about Reyna's death. The warning rocked me to my core. The thought of the woman I loved dying made me physically sick. I couldn't let it happen. I had to do something to stop it from happening…and I did.

…

It was May, and the weather in northern California was beautiful. It was a perfect day for a trip to the beach for some surfing, which Kota and I both loved. Kota had seemed stressed lately, most likely because of the war that was no doubt going to happen later this summer. The titan Krios had set up shop on Mount Tam, and we were just waiting for the perfect time to attack. A day at the beach would be good for Kota, good for both of us. We could relax for a while.

When I approached him to ask if he wanted to go, I knew by the look in his eyes that something was wrong. He took me to a quiet corner of camp where we could be alone, but it wasn't the kind of alone time I'd been looking forward to. His words were a blur, a jumbled mess in my ears. I didn't want to hear them. Oh, gods, how I didn't want to hear them. How could he be doing this? Why was he doing this? He couldn't give me reason; he just was. The one person I trusted completely, the one person I loved more than anything, the one person I knew would always be there was walking away from me. My heart shattered into pieces.

…

It was cool at camp, not cold, but cool, so I put a hoodie on over my tee before I left my quarters. I completed my morning routine: a run around the camp's borders, a shower, then breakfast. I sat alone at a table in the corner of the dining hall. These days, I eat all of my meals alone. I'd rather not have any company; I'd rather not have any human contact at all, because it seems lately, every time I do, I end up pummeling someone. I used to be able to control my temper that I no doubt inherited from my father, but anymore, I can't control anything. Jason says its post-traumatic stress, trauma from the devastation we suffered during the Titan War. Maybe it is, because I sure don't feel like myself anymore.

I lost everything this year. I lost so many siblings and so many soldiers under my command in the war, I lost the love of my life, I'm on the brink of losing my best friend, and I almost lost my own life. I often wish I had. Nothing's the same, I'm not the same, and I don't know if I ever will be again.

My blood began to boil when I saw them walk into the dining hall together, the woman I love and my best friend. Reyna and Jason are the two most important people in the world to me, but right now, I hate them both. No, that's not true. I don't hate them, I hate the circumstances. They don't want to be around me anymore, and I don't blame them, especially Reyna. She won't even look at me anymore. She and I had been together for two years when I broke it off between us this spring. It was so hard to let her go, but I had to do it. I couldn't let her die because of me. I didn't leave her because I didn't love her anymore. I didn't leave her because I found someone else. I left her to save her life, though, I never told her that; I never gave her a real explanation at all. It wouldn't have made a difference even if I had; she'd still hate me. It kills me that we can't be together, and watching her fall in love with my best friend…it's excruciating.


	3. Let's Don't Call It A Night

**Warning: Percabeth fluff.**

Let's Don't Call It A Night

Percy and Annabeth

I was struggling with my tie. I hate those damn things. Annabeth had insisted I wear a necktie as opposed to the traditional bowtie with my tux. She said the bowtie would make her think of her dad, and that's not who she wanted on her mind at prom, but I think it was so she could choke me with it if the need happened to arise.

"Knock, knock," Paul said as he peaked into my bedroom.

"Oh, hey, Paul," I said, still fighting with my tie in front of the mirror.

"Need some help?" he grinned.

"I can never figure these things out," I complained about the tie. "Isn't it something about a rabbit running around a tree?"

Paul took the tie in his hands and began to tie it for me, "The fox chases the rabbit around the tree and down the hole. There."

It was tied perfectly. "Thanks."

Mom stuck her head into my room, "I'm going to pick up Annabeth."

"Wait a second," I said. "Why are you picking her up? I'm supposed to pick her up."

"Oh, no you don't," Mom shook her head. "She's coming over here before you two go to the dance. I've got to get pictures."

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever."

"I'll be back in twenty minutes," she said. "And Paul you can keep Percy company." The way she said that last part, I knew something was up.

When she left the apartment, I could tell Paul was acting a little nervous. I walked into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water, and he sat down at the table.

"Percy, your mom wanted me to talk to you before you went to the dance."

"About?"

"Percy, it's prom, and things happen after prom, things between couples, and I know you're a grown man, but your mother-" he stammered.

Oh gods, here we go. I raised an eyebrow, "Is this the sex talk?"

"We just want to make sure you understand what a big step it is, and we want to make sure you're prepared."

"Paul, you don't have to talk to me about this."

"Um…wait, have you and…have you two already…"

I shook my head, "No, Annabeth and I haven't had sex, but that doesn't mean we haven't talked about it. I mean, come on, this is Annabeth we're talking about. You know, the girl who has to have a plan and insists on being prepared for anything and everything."

"Oh, right."

This was going to be an awkward conversation, but I was going to be honest with him. I owed him that much. "It may happen tonight and it may not. I hope it does, because I love her, and I want to be with her in the most special way there is. She and I both know it's a big step, we know to use protection, and we know there can be consequences in the event that protection fails."

"Sounds like you two have really thought this through."

"Annabeth did most of the thinking things through. I basically nodded in agreement."

Paul gave me a sly grin, "So, you've got at plan?"

I blushed, "Yeah, I'm hoping to surprise her, but that's tough to do. I saved up some money and got us a room at Gansevoort Park Avenue with the most incredible view of the Empire State Building."

He smiled, "I think she'll like that."

"Yeah, I think so, too."

"So, I guess your mother and I shouldn't expect you home tonight?"

"If everything works out. I just hope I don't screw it up."

Paul put his hand on my shoulder, "Percy, I'm proud of you for taking this so seriously and for being honest with me. And as far as screwing things up goes, remember, it's Annabeth. She'd expect nothing less."

"Hey," I mocked-hurt.

He laughed, "I'm just saying she'll forgive you if it's not perfect."

…

I knew he had something up his sleeve, but I wasn't exactly sure what it was. I mean, I had a pretty good idea…it was prom night after all, but how he was going to execute his plan was what I was really curious about.

He rested his forehead against mine as we turned slow circles on the gym floor during the last dance of the night. "It's turned into a pretty good night, huh?" he smiled.

I softly pressed my lips to his and smiled into our kiss, "Surprisingly, it has. You've managed to only step on my toes twice."

"Yeah, um, sorry about that. So, I was thinking…" he began. "Maybe the night doesn't have to end just yet."

"Do you want to go to the after-party?" I asked, and I was really hoping he'd say no. I didn't want to go to a party with a bunch of people I didn't know.

"No, I was thinking…we could go somewhere a little more private."

He was scheming to get me alone. I knew it. And honestly, I was glad he was. It's about time. We're both adults now, legally anyway, and we've been together for over two years. It was time to take the next step in our relationship, and I was ready. I loved him, and I wanted to be with him completely.

"What'd you have in mind?" I asked.

"Can I surprise you?"

I smirked, "You can try."

"Annabeth," he said softly. "Do you know how much I love you?"

After all we've been through and all he's put up with from me over the years, I knew he had to love me a lot. Most guys wouldn't have stuck around with someone like me, but Percy did. "I think so, but maybe you could show me?"

He kissed my forehead, "I will. Tonight, I will."


	4. Then

**AN: I thought this drabble would be appropriate for publishing today. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!**

**-dmac**

Then

Annabeth

I wiggled my toes nervously in the warm sand. Why was I so nervous? It was stupid. There was nothing to be nervous about.

"Sweetheart, there's nothing to be nervous about," my father reiterated my thought.

I finally hooked my arm with his, "You're absolutely right. Let's do this."

"Attagirl," he smiled.

There was no music, only the sound of the waves hitting the shore. The attire was casual: shorts or rolled up khakis, white polos, sundresses, and bare feet. Even my dress was simple, a calf-length, flowing, white halter. The crowd was small, only our closest friends and family, and they all stood when my father and I came into view. When he and I reached the sandy aisle between the two groups of smiling faces, I looked all the way to the end. Maybe I was making sure he was still there, that he hadn't wigged out, and sure enough, he was there, smiling like the Seaweed Brain he is.

As my father walked me down that aisle and I looked down at the man I was about to marry, a flood of memories washed over me. I remembered the very first day I met him. I wasn't exactly nice to him. It's hard to believe how far we've come since that day. It's hard to believe that only a few short years after the day I rudely told him he drooled in his sleep, we'd take thirty minutes to share an underwater kiss. And I hadn't told him yet, but I thought I loved him then.

I remembered him taking me to Central Park a year ago. We had a picnic under a towering Maple tree that few people knew used to be the titan Hyperion. It was a Saturday, and college had just let out for the summer. The park was full of people having picnics, walking their dogs, and playing with their kids, but he didn't care. He got down on one knee in front of everybody and asked me to marry him. I'm not easily surprised or impressed, but that day he accomplished both. He managed to catch me off guard and ask the question without messing it up, and once again, I thought I loved him then.

Now he's my whole life, my whole world. I never thought I'd feel that way about anyone. I'm strong, I'm smart, and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, but I'm also a woman with wants and needs. I want a career and a successful future, but I also want a husband and a family, and I know I can have both with Percy. It blows my mind how I feel about him. I don't know what I'd do without him. I love him. Against all logic, against all odds, I love him.

Someday, I can just see him with a baby in his arms. I can see him asleep in his recliner when what's left of his hair is gray. But I can't see us ever not being together. I can't see me ever loving him more than I do right now, but I've thought that before, too.

When we reached the end of the aisle, my dad kissed my cheek and gave me over to Percy. When he took my hands in his own, he still had that goofy smile on his face. "You look beautiful," he said softly.

"You clean-up pretty good, yourself," I winked.

He took a deep breath and gripped my hands a little tighter, "Are you ready for this?"

I stared into his green eyes and thought about how I'd look back on this moment one day, how this would be another one of those memories where I'd look back and think: and I thought I loved him then.

"I'm ready."


	5. Let It Go Pt 1

Let It Go

Part 1

Thalia and Jason

I pounded on the door. He wasn't answering. I knew he was there, because I'd been watching him for the past few days to learn his routine. If I was going to help him, I had to know what was going on with him, and I was devastated by what I'd learned about my little brother over the last week. Now, I understood why our father did what he did…but that didn't mean I wasn't still royally pissed about it.

After five minutes of beating on the door, I decided he wasn't going to open it, so I kicked it in. I walked into my brother's apartment, which was a rat hole if I'd ever seen one. It smelled like a distillery, souring food, and smoke, and the place was completely trashed. I made my way through a maze of empty booze bottles, food wrappers, mouse traps, and dirty laundry and found Jason lying on a mattress on the floor in his room. Seeing him up close, he looked even worse than I thought. His shoulder blades and ribs were protruding against his skin, and all his muscle mass was gone. He was so skinny; it was scary.

"Jason," I said, and he didn't move. He just lay there passed out on his stomach. "Jason," I repeated louder, but he still didn't move. My heart skipped a beat; I thought he might be dead. "Jason!"

He groaned, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "Who's there?" he muttered with his head buried in his pillow.

I leaned against the doorframe and crossed my arms, "Your sister."

He stirred a bit, but still didn't roll over to look at me. "Which one?" he asked.

"How many sisters do you have? Wait…don't answer that."

"Thalia," he grumbled. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you."

He raised a hand up and gave me the finger, "Here's what I think about your help."

I rolled my eyes, "So, you think I'm number one, huh?"

"I think you need to fuck off," he spat.

"And I think you need to show some respect," I barked. I wasn't used to being talked to like that. I was used to being respected as Artemis' lieutenant.

He finally rolled over and looked up at me. "You look like shit," I told him.

"And you look the same as you did the last time I saw you," he said, then squinted his eyes, looking at me harder. "Except you're not all glowy."

"I'm not a Hunter anymore." Gods, it was so hard to say those words.

"Diana kick you out?"

"No, _Artemis_ had nothing to do with it. Our father did."

Jason laughed, "Damn, you must've really pissed him off."

"You pissed him off," I said. "He forced Artemis to release me from my oath so he could send me out here to take care of your sorry ass."

He actually looked surprised and regretful when he heard that. "No, Thalia, you have to go back and tell him that was a mistake. You have to go back to the Hunt."

"I can't go back!" I yelled; I was so angry at him. "I can never go back! You cost me my immortality, you son of a bitch, so you're gonna to get your ass up, get sober, and clean up this mess you call your life, or by the gods, I'll send you to Tartarus myself!"

…

She was forced out of the Hunt, and it was all my fault. She had to give up immortality, an eternal life because of me, because of what I'd become, and I knew even then, she'd never forgive me for it. The guilt I felt was what made me listen to her; it made me at least try to get clean.

She moved me into her two-bedroom apartment she'd just rented in Wilshire to get me out of the South Central L.A. ghetto and away from the _bad influences_. That's where I went off the drugs and booze cold turkey and detoxed.

Detoxing and withdrawal has got to be the most painful and miserable thing a person can go through. I'd fought monsters all my life, but that was a breeze compared to this. Nectar and ambrosia can heal battle wounds, but it does nothing for withdrawal symptoms. I had to go through the process like any other recovering addict.

It had been four days since my last fix, and my body was screaming. At first, it was aches and cold sweats, then the vomiting started, and I didn't think it would ever stop. I knew just one line of blow would make it all go away, and if I could've gotten out of bed, I would've relapsed in a heartbeat. I would've been out on the street doping on anything I could get my hands on. But as it was, I could barely move. I just lay in my bed shaking violently with chills.

Thalia walked into my room to check on me, "You should drink that Gatorade so you don't dehydrate."

My teeth were chattering when I said, "I'll vomit, again."

She walked over to me and touched her hand to my forehead, "You're burning up."

I felt like I was freezing to death, though, and I was hurting so bad that I was nearly in tears. "I can't stop shivering."

She stared at me for a moment. I wasn't sure if the look in her eyes was pity or enjoyment; I didn't know her well enough to tell the difference. She finally walked around to the other side of the bed and lay down beside me. I was lying on my side with my back to her, and she draped her arm over me. She held me tight in an attempt to calm my uncontrollable shakes. She was trying to help, but all I wanted her to do was go to the corner store and get me a bottle of vodka; that would help.

"I feel like I'm dying," I told her, but I'm sure she already knew that.

"Your body's paying you back for what you've been doing to yourself all these years. You've just got to toughen up and get through it."

"I can't do this," my voice cracked. "I'm not strong enough."

"Oh, you're going to do this. I'm going to make you. I won't let you give up."

I gripped my sister's arm, "I hate you right now."

"I know," she said. "I hate you, too."


	6. If She Could See Me Now

If She Could See Me Now

Nico

I wrecked it; it was all on me. I was a fool. I've replayed it in my head so many times:

"So, what are you saying?" she asked me.

"I'm saying you need to choose: the spirit or me."

She gave me a surprised and annoyed look, "You're giving me an ultimatum?"

I nodded, "I guess, I am."

"I thought you were different, but you're just like any other guy. It's all about the sex."

"That's not true," I insisted. "That's not what this is about."

She raised her eyebrows, "It's not?"

"Well, not entirely."

She rolled her eyes, "Pig."

"Rachel, I love you. Do you know how hard it is for me to love you so much and not be able to make love to you?"

"Yes, Nico, I do know."

"Then why don't you do something about it?"

She shook her head, "I can't. I have an obligation."

"Bull shit," I spat. "I know Apollo told you that he'd find a replacement for you whenever you were ready to leave."

She looked surprised, "How did you know that?"

"I'm not stupid, Rachel. And what I want to know is: why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you'd try to convince me to leave."

"Damn right."

"Nico, I'm…I'm just not ready to leave, yet," she said.

"You're putting off your life, and you're dragging me along with you," I said. "I can't do this anymore. I'm ready to leave camp, ready to go forward in my life, and I want you there with me, but if you can't, then I'll do it on my own. I have to move on, Rach."

"Then go!" she yelled as a tear rolled down her cheek. It tore me up inside to see her cry and to know I was the one causing it, so I did the only thing I could…I just closed my eyes.

We'd had fights before. In the seven or so years we'd known each other and been friends, the last two of which we'd spent as a couple, we'd had plenty of fights. Everything from the pointless stuff like what movie we were going to watch, to the big stuff like our three-year age difference and her being the _virgin_ Oracle. Now I understood why the Oracle being in a relationship was impractical and frowned upon; it was frustrating for both parties. We were always able to work through the fights and differences, though. We were best friends, and we loved each other, so we made it work. But that fight was different. That time it was the end, and at the time, I thought that's what I wanted. I thought that's what we both wanted, but it wasn't long before I realized I'd made the worst mistake of my life.

I just go through the motions these days. I thought I was leaving camp to live my life, but this isn't living. If Rachel could see me now, she'd say I told you so or you're such an idiot. Gods, I miss her. There's so many things I wish I could tell her and show her like how much I really need her, miss her, and love her. If she knew how miserable I was without her, without my best friend, maybe she'd take me back. No, she'd never do that. If she could see me now, she'd call it payback; she'd say that's what I get for not thinking things through. Maybe I am getting what I deserve. I was selfish to ask her to give up the spirit of the Oracle and leave camp. She wasn't ready, and I didn't respect that. Now, I'm paying the price.

I've thought about going to see her, but I never do. I've thought about apologizing, but I haven't. It's been three years since that fight, and I haven't seen her since I left her standing alone in her cave in tears. Even after all this time, the world around me still feels out of place. Or maybe it's me who feels out of place without her in my world. And so, I just go through the motions. I go to class, I go to work, and I go home where I wait and I hope that maybe, just maybe, I'll run into her someday.


	7. Remind Me Pt 2

**AN: A few of these scenes are pulled from _TFLS_, but are told from the character's POV, rather than third person.**

Remind Me

Part 2

Dakota and Reyna

I knew he couldn't lie to me now; the spell prevented it. So, I asked him why he did it, why he left me. I needed to know. I needed closure. I could tell this wasn't going to be easy for him. The look on his face was pained, but I didn't care. I had to know the truth.

He began by telling me that leaving me was the hardest thing he'd ever done, that it was torture and still is. I wanted to know why he did it if it was so painful for him. He told me that Venus, the goddess of love, gave him a warning. She told him I would live a tragic life filled with heartache and death if Kota and I stayed together. He wasn't willing to let me have that kind of life or possibly die because of him, so he ended our relationship.

I was so angry. He should've told me this before he just left me with no explanation. Maybe we could've figured something out. Really, did he think my life could possibly get any worse? Even after the break-up, my life was filled with tragedy and death. It's simply the life of a demigod.

We began to argue about it. This was the first time we'd really fought about the split; for the longest time, I didn't want to even speak to him or look at him. Things had been awkward between us for a while, but over a year had gone by, and it was getting easier to be around him. Right now, though, it wasn't easy at all. To think, if he would've just been honest with me then, all the heartache over losing the man I loved more than anything could've been avoided. I was raging mad.

I stomped up to Kota, reared my arm back, and slapped him across the face just as hard as I could...three times. The fist slap was for lying to me, the second, for not even asking me what I wanted, and the third, for breaking my heart. Kota's eyes were blood-red, but not out of anger. It was out of guilt, regret, and sadness over what he had done to me, what he had done to us. When I swung at him for the fourth time, he caught my wrist before my hand struck his face. He asked me what that one was for. I was crying and tried to catch my breath. I was so mad, frustrated, and overcome with regret and sadness. My voice cracked when I told him it was for making me love him. As much as I wanted to say I wished I'd never loved him, I couldn't because that was a lie. As much as I wanted to say I didn't love him anymore, I couldn't, because that was a lie, too.

The steady rain couldn't even disguise my tears, and when Kota looked into my eyes, he pulled my arm to his chest, then leaned in and kissed me softly on my lips. And I didn't fight it. I wanted to fight it, I just couldn't.

I finally stepped away from Kota and turned my back to him. It was quiet between us for a moment before he asked if it was too late for us. He wanted to make things right. He wanted to reconcile. If it were only that simple. I told him I didn't know if I could forgive him or ever trust him again. I wanted to, gods, I wanted to, but I just didn't know if I could. He told me forgiveness and trust are earned, and he wanted to earn it if I would let him try. I turned to face him, blinking the tears and rain out of my eyes, and I told him, simply, to earn it.

…

I sat down on the ground and gently pulled Kota up so he could lean back against me. Kota rested his head just below my neck, and I'm sure he could hear the panicked pounding of my heart. I was scared. I knew I was going to lose him this time, and I was so scared. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close. My face was soaked in tears, and the lump in my throat kept me from speaking.

Kota told me he was tired, and I begged him not to sleep. I wanted more time with him. There was still so much to say. He wasn't angry that he was about to die, but I was. I was so angry. We'd just begun finding our way back to each other, and now, I was losing him all over again. I didn't want to accept it, but I knew I couldn't stop it. He was hurt too badly. I couldn't heal him, so the least I could do was hold him and comfort him in his final moments.

I rested my head against his and ran my fingers through his hair. I kissed his temple, and he raised a shaky hand to lace his fingers with mine. More than a year had passed since the last time I held his hand, but at that moment, it seemed like only yesterday we were together, happy and in love. I could feel the life draining out of him through his touch. It was only a matter of time before he would be gone from my life again, and it was fast approaching. He would be gone within minutes.

He took a ragged breath and asked me if I would love him for the rest of his life. I told him no, that I wouldn't love him for the rest of his life, I'd love him for the rest of mine.

…

I woke to find Reyna curled up against me with her head and hand resting on my chest. The most beautiful woman in the world, the woman I loved, was sound asleep in my arms. I'd died and gone to Elysium…that was my first thought, but if I were dead, I wouldn't be hurting like I was. My whole body ached, which made me realize I wasn't dead nor was I dreaming; this was real, but I touched her arm just to make sure. Her skin was warm and soft, just like I remembered, and when she opened her eyes and smiled up at me, my heart fluttered in my chest like crazy.

She explained how she broke her oath and asked her father to heal me as his one and only gift to her. I didn't know what to say. There was nothing I could say. I just looked into her eyes, eyes that told me she'd forgiven me for ever leaving her. And right then, I swore an oath to myself that I'd be completely honest with her from now on. There was no way I was going to lose her again.

I held her tight in my arms, something I'd missed so much, and when she kissed me with that same passion and love that we'd shared for years, I melted. I finally had her back, and I was never going to let her go.

…

It was so good to go home, and I don't mean back to camp, I mean back home on the farm. I hadn't seen my mom in three years, and I'd missed her so much. And I missed Sam, too. He was always really good to me and Mom, and he takes care of her and loves us both. I couldn't ask for a better step-dad.

Mom was thrilled that Reyna had come home with me and that she and I were back together. Mom loved Reyna. I brought her out to Iowa with me the last time I came home; we'd just become a couple, then. Mom was irate with me when she found out I broke-up with Reyna, because she was sure we were meant to be together. Of course, she was right; she's always right.

When Reyna and I told Mom we were both going to UC Berkeley in a month, she was a little upset at first. She was hoping I'd be moving back to Iowa to go to college now that my legionnaire days were over, but when I told her I'd gotten a scholarship, she took it better. I think she was just glad she wouldn't have to pay for my tuition. And I agreed to come home to visit every Christmas and every summer, which made her and Sam both happy.

I got to spend two relaxing weeks at home with my family and my girlfriend, and it was awesome. It reminded me of the way things used to be, the way I wanted things to continue to be. During our time on the farm, Reyna would help Mom in the kitchen while I helped Sam tinker on one of his old tractors. We'd go horseback riding, fishing in the catfish pond, and sneak off to the barn and make love up in the loft while the rain made music on the tin roof. It was all so perfect. I was the happiest and luckiest man alive.

…

I was sitting on the sofa in our new apartment watching the game and studying for a bio-chem exam when Reyna came storming into the living room from our bedroom.

"Where's the food?" she asked. "Does it really take an hour to deliver Chinese? What'd they do, go all the way to China to get it?"

I looked at my watch and said, "It's only been thirty-five minutes."

She plopped down on the sofa and laid her head on the textbook in my lap. She looked up at me, "I'm starving. I haven't eaten all day."

"Why not?"

"I was too busy. I had two exams, two labs, a study group, and all of my regular classes. I didn't have time to eat."

"You having second thoughts about going pre-med?" I asked.

"Second, third, fourth…"

I ran my fingers through her hair and smiled, "You'll be alright. You can make it. After everything you've been through, med-school should be a breeze."

"A dragon or a Cyclops is a breeze compared to prepping for the MCAT," she groaned.

The doorbell rang, and Reyna jumped up off the sofa and made a beeline for the door. She looked through the peephole to make sure it was the delivery guy and not a Gorgon, which, last time we ordered pizza, it was. She opened the door, paid the delivery guy, and sat our food on the kitchen counter.

"What do you want to drink?" she asked.

"What do we have?"

She opened the refrigerator door and examined the contents. "We have beer and milk, but I think the milk is sour," she told me.

"I'll take a beer then."

"So will I," she said and grabbed two beers out of the fridge.

I watched as she took a drink of her beer, then sorted through the boxes of Chinese take-out. Even in her gym shorts, ratty t-shirt with a hole in the sleeve, and her messy ponytail, she was beautiful, and as I watched her curse at the unlabled boxes, I couldn't imagine ever being without her.

"Hey, Reyna," I said.

"I'm working on it. You had the pork, right?"

"Do you want to get married?" I asked, really out of nowhere.

She never looked up from the take-out; she just shrugged, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe one of these days when I find the right guy."

I laughed, "Maybe I should rephrase the question. Do you want to marry me?"

"Kota, are you proposing?" she asked as she brought my food and beer to me.

I nodded, "Yeah, I guess I am."

She walked back to the kitchen to retrieve her food, then sat down on the sofa beside me. "You know, I do want to marry you," she grinned.

"Really?"

She nodded, "Really."

I kissed her and kissed her and kissed her some more until she finally pushed me off of her. "Can I eat now?" she asked.

I laughed, "I love you."

She bumped me with her shoulder and smiled, "I love you, too."


	8. Let It Go Pt 2

Let It Go

Part 2

Thalia and Jason

I was sitting alone in my regular booth eating a burger and fries like I always do on Monday and Thursday evenings after attending my regular AA meeting. Today was a Thursday, and I had something to celebrate; today was my six-month anniversary, six months sober. I relapsed four times that first year I tried to get clean, but six months ago, it finally stuck. Thalia stayed on my ass, and I started going to the gym and working out again to keep my mind off wanting a fix. It's been working so far, but my sponsor tells me I'll struggle with my sobriety for the rest of my life, so I've got to keep working at it.

"Need a refill?" Amy asked me. Amy had been my regular waitress at this hole-in-the-wall diner ever since I started stopping in here about eight months ago.

"Please," I said, and she refilled my glass of water.

"What's that?" she pointed toward a token sitting on the table.

I picked up the token and showed it to her. "It's a sobriety token," I told her. "I'm six months sober, today."

She smiled widely, "Good for you, Jason. Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"Well, this calls for a special treat. Ice cream sundae, on the house," she winked.

After indulging on free ice cream, I walked back to mine and Thalia's apartment where I showered, started some laundry, and kicked back on the sofa to watch SportsCenter. Thalia wasn't home, but that didn't really surprise me; she's hardly ever home. She gets stir-crazy pretty easily. I must've dosed off on the sofa, because I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard pounding on the door.

"Jason!" a man's voice called out from behind my apartment door. "Jason!"

The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it. The pounding continued as I ran over to the door and looked through the peephole. I blinked. It was Jared, a son of Mars who I hadn't seen in six or seven years, and he was holding someone in his arms. My heart began to race when I realized it was Thalia. What had she gotten herself into now?

I scrambled to get the door open and when I did, Jared burst into the apartment and began rambling incoherently. I didn't really pay any attention to him; I was too worried about my injured sister.

"Here," I said as I pointed toward the living room. "Lay her down on the sofa."

She was unconscious and had a large cut on her forehead that was bleeding profusely. Her shirt was ripped and she was cut deep on her left shoulder and abdomen; she was soaked with her own blood. I ran into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of nectar from the cabinet and some towels from a drawer.

I cleaned her wounds with the nectar and wiped the blood off her. "What the heck happened?" I asked Jared, who was bleeding a little himself.

"It was a hellhound. She hesitated, and it got the jump on her," he explained.

"She probably thought it was that damn hound of Percy's."

Jared brushed her hair out of her face and gripped her hand. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked me.

"I think she will, but I'm not so sure about you," I said with noticeable irritation in my voice. "You've got some explaining to do." I wanted to know why a son of Mars that I hadn't seen in years was in my living room holding my injured sister's hand.

"She doesn't like going to the movies and stuff like that," he began. "She likes to hunt monster and so do I, so that's what we do. It just went bad tonight."

"Wait a second, are you two dating? You took Thalia on a monster hunt as a date?"

"You didn't know?" he asked.

Of course, I didn't know. The bitch never tells me anything. "Dude, I didn't know you were in L.A., much less dating my sister."

"We've been seeing each other for a few months, now," he said.

I was kind of stunned. Thalia…dating? And how serious was this thing with her and Jared? I gritted my teeth, "Are you sleeping with her?"

His eyes widened, "I don't think that's any of your business."

"So, you are sleeping with her."

"Jason, she's a grown-up. She can sleep with whoever she wants. And why are you acting like this? To hear Thalia talk, you two don't even get along."

"We don't," I admitted. "But she's still my sister."

Jared looked straight into my eyes and said, "I care about her, too, Jason."

I believed him. Children of Mars live for the fight and for battle, but they also have an integrity and devotion that's not often seen in their Greek counterparts. I tossed a towel to my old friend and said, "Clean yourself up. You're bleeding on my carpet."

…

I opened my eyes and saw Jason asleep in the chair in the corner of my bedroom. The sun was up, and the clock on my nightstand read 9:23. I also noticed a glass of nectar sitting next to the clock, and with the aches in my body and the pounding in my head, I drank the whole glass.

"Be careful with that stuff," my brother said to me as I finished off the glass.

"I can handle it," I assured him.

"Uh huh," he said. "Just like you handled that hellhound last night? And what are you doing going out and slaying monsters at night?"

"I hunt. That's what I do." I guess I never really let go of the Hunt; it was in my blood, now, and I had this uncontrollable drive to go out and kill monsters. Jason's a capable fighter himself, now that he's getting back into shape, and I'd ask him to join me, but monsters aren't the only things that roam the L.A. streets at night. I didn't want to put his sobriety in jeopardy by exposing him to the very things he was trying to overcome.

"Thalia, you're not an immortal Hunter, anymore. If you keep this up, you're only going to get yourself killed."

I rolled my eyes, "Your confidence in me is resounding."

"Look, you're badass; I don't deny that. You could kick my ass if you wanted to."

"I have," I reminded him.

"What if Jared hadn't been there last night? You'd be dead."

"Where is Jared? Is he okay?" I asked. My head was still fuzzy, I guess, because I'd forgotten Jared was with me last night.

Jason nodded, "He's fine. He wanted to stay to make sure you were going to be alright, but he had to go to work this morning. He's going to stop by later to see you."

I breathed a sigh of relief. It was one thing to put my own life in danger, but I didn't want Jared getting hurt or worse. I mean, he's as hardcore as I am when it comes to slaying monsters, I think that's why we get along so well, but I'd never forgive myself if anything bad ever happened to him.

"Why didn't you tell me you were seeing somebody?" Jason asked. "And a son of Mars at that?"

"What business is it of yours?" Why was he suddenly so interested in my personal life?

"Well, I guess it's none of my business, but Jared and I went to camp together, and we used to be friends. You could bring him over, you know. It'd be nice to hang out with an old friend, and it'd give me somebody to watch football with."

I couldn't help but laugh at his reasoning, "Are you trying to steal my boyfriend?"

"I'm just saying we could all hang out instead of you two hunting monsters at all hours of the night."

He sounded like a responsible adult. When did that happen? "Since when did you become a grown-up?" I asked.

He laughed and tossed me a coin. I examined the round piece of metal and realized it wasn't a coin, it was his six month anniversary token. I was proud of him, though I kept that to myself. "Well, it's about time," I said. "Now, we've just got to find you a girlfriend, so you'll have your own life and you can quit trying to control mine."

His smile faded, and his expression looked almost like that of a frightened child. He shook his head, "No…no, I don't think I can do that."

"What?" I asked. "Stay out of my business or get a girlfriend?" I had a feeling it was the latter.

He didn't answer my question. "Jason, you can move on, you know. That's what she wanted you to do. You've got to let it go, let _her_ go."

He took a deep breath, "I know I should, and I know that's what she would want, but I guess…I guess I feel like I'd be betraying her, betraying her memory."

"There will always be a special place in your heart for Piper, and no one can ever take that away from you, but that doesn't mean you can't love someone else. Piper's gone, but you're still here. Moving on isn't betraying her, it's honoring her wishes for you."

"I know you're right, it's just…" he trailed off.

"Tell you what," I started. "Take it slow. Meet a girl, and go on a date."

He scratched his head, "Well, there is this one girl…Amy. She's a waitress."

"Ask her out."

He nodded, "I might just do that."


	9. Love Don't Run

Love Don't Run

Percy

It was our third wedding anniversary, and we were having dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant. We'd just finished our meals and were drinking the last of our bottle of wine when Annabeth reached across the table and took my hand.

"I've been thinking," she said.

"You, thinking? _Noo_," I mocked.

She swatted my hand, "I'm being serious."

I took my wife's hand in mine and smiled, "What have you been thinking?"

"I…" she hesitated. "I've been thinking…maybe…"

"Maybe?"

"Maybe we could…start trying to have a baby."

Whoa, that came out of nowhere. I mean, we've talked about it before, and we both agreed we wanted kids someday, but I always assumed she'd want to wait longer. She has a career that's really important to her, and she has so much going on right now, that I never imagined she'd be thinking about a baby. I was ready, though. I'd been ready to start a family from the day we said I do, but I respected her and her dreams of a successful career too much to push the matter. I knew we'd get around to it someday; she just caught me by surprise. She's pretty good at that.

"Percy…Percy, speak."

I tightened my grip on her hand, "You're serious about this?"

She nodded, "I am."

I raised my other hand and snapped my fingers, "Waiter, check, please."

Annabeth laughed, and I gave her a cheesy grin. "We should get started," I said. "Tonight."

…

The test was negative…again. A year and a half, we'd been trying to get pregnant for a year and a half, and it just wasn't happening. We'd been to doctors, both medical and mystical, and they told us there was nothing wrong, that sometimes it just takes time. At first, it didn't bother me too bad that the tests were negative; that just meant more trying, which was awesome, but it eventually became a chore. When making love to your wife becomes a hassle, something's wrong.

We were sitting on the end of the bed in complete silence. There was really nothing to say. We'd been through this disappointment time and time again, and it wasn't getting any easier. I was beginning to wonder if it just wasn't meant to be. Maybe we weren't meant to have a child. That thought terrified me, because Annabeth and I both wanted a family so badly, but the heartbreak of negative test after negative test was really starting to get to us; it was starting to come between us.

I finally broke the silence and said, "Maybe…maybe we should just stop-"

"Stop what, Percy?" she interrupted. "Stop trying?"

"Stop trying so hard," I said. "I hate seeing you inject yourself with all those hormones, and I hate how heartbroken you are every month when the tests are negative, and I hate how this is pulling us apart when it should be bringing us closer together."

"I thought you wanted a baby. Now you're saying you don't?"

I shook my head, "I didn't say that."

"Well, that's what it sounds like," she said. "It sounds like you want to give up."

"Stop putting words in my mouth, Annabeth. I said we should stop trying so hard, not stop trying all together. If it happens, it happens, and if it doesn't, then it just wasn't meant to be."

"I refuse to believe that we're not meant to be parents, that I'm not meant to be a mother," she said, her voice seething with anger and frustration.

"Annabeth, I think it's time to start looking at other options…like adoption."

"No," she snapped. "Adoption is a last resort. We're not to that point, yet."

"Sweetheart, I think we are."

"No, no, this is going to happen," she insisted. "We're going to get pregnant. We're going to _make_ it happen."

"You're fooling yourself, Annabeth. If it was going to happen, it would've happened by now. It's over. We just have to face it."

She stood up from the bed and put her hands on her hips, "I can't believe you. You're just giving up?"

"No," I shook my head. "I'm just done kidding myself."

"Get out," she pointed toward the door.

"What?"

"Get out!" she yelled. "Go! I can't look at you right now!"

"Fine!" I yelled back. "You're the boss. If you want me gone, I'll go, but don't expect me to come back!"

"I don't want you to come back!"

I slammed the bedroom door when I walked out, and slammed the front door of our apartment when I left.

…

It had been four days since our fight, and I'd been staying at Mom's during that time. I hadn't even spoken to Annabeth since that night.

Mom sat down on the sofa beside me. "Honey," she said. "Don't you think it's time for you to go home?"

"She doesn't want me there, Mom."

"That's not true," she said. "She wants you back home just as much as you want to go back."

"I told her I wasn't coming back."

Mom rolled her eyes, "Like that's the first time you've ever said something you didn't mean. Come on Percy, just apologize to her."

"I have nothing to apologize for. I was right this time."

"Maybe you were. Maybe you two aren't meant to have a baby, and it breaks my heart that you may never be blessed with a child, but you can't let that ruin your marriage. You and Annabeth have been through _so_ much together, and you two can get through this, but you have to do it _together_."

Mom was right. She's always right. I kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks, Mom."

…

I knocked on the door, and it took a minute, but she opened it.

"Can I come in?" I asked.

She shrugged and walked away from me, "It's your apartment, too."

I walked into my home, and followed Annabeth into the kitchen where she was loading the dishwasher.

"We need to talk," I said.

She shook her head, "There's nothing to talk about, Percy."

"Yes, there is."

"Then say what you have to say," she said as she continued to load the dishwasher and avoid eye contact with me.

I walked over to her and took a plate out of her hands. "Stop," I said. "Just stop and look at me."

She looked up at me with tears welling in her gray eyes, and I took her cheeks in my hands. "I love you. We can't let this tear us apart. We can get through this," I said.

"I don't want to lose you, Percy."

"You won't," I assured her. "I'm not going anywhere. And I'm sorry for letting you think I ever would. And I'm sorry for those things I said to you."

"I'm sorry, too. You were right," she admitted. "I just…I just didn't want to believe it."

I rested my forehead against hers. "It'll be alright," I told her. "It'll all be alright as long as we have each other."

"I love you, Percy."

"I know," I nodded, then kissed my wife with a passion that we hadn't shared in nearly a year, and that night, we didn't try to make a baby, we just made love.

…

I was half-asleep on the sofa watching a reality TV show about crab fishermen when I heard Annabeth scream. It wasn't the monster-scream or the spider-scream; it was more like a teenage-girl-squeal, which had me a little freaked out.

I jumped up and ran into the bathroom where she was. "What?" I asked in slight panic. "What is it?"

She turned around, and I saw that she had a smile on her face, but she also had tears in her eyes. She was holding up a white stick, that all too familiar white stick. "Percy, it's positive."

"It's…wait, what?"

"I'm pregnant. We're finally going to have a baby."

I was speechless. We'd tried for so long, and a mere two months after we stopped trying, it happened. "Oh, my gods," I gasped. "We're going to have a baby!" I ran over to my wife and gave her the biggest hug I think I've ever given her.

"Our prayers have finally been answered," she smiled.

I nodded with an equally large smile, "Our curse has been lifted."

…

Annabeth was about seven months along, and her belly was getting big enough for her to rest her notebook on it as she sketched out designs for work while she lay in bed.

"Our son is going to come out with a blueprint on his butt if you keep doing that," I teased.

She just rolled her eyes and continued working.

"You know," I said. "I think it's time we give him a name."

"What'd you have in mind?" she asked, still not looking up from her sketch.

I stared up at the ceiling and thought about it for a moment. "What about Matthew?" I asked.

She shook her head, "I was thinking Nathan."

"Eh, a kid named Nate used to beat me up in the second grade."

She laughed, "Okay, scratch that then. Maybe we should name him something Greek?"

"We could name him Perseus," I suggested.

"No," she said firmly. "He's already going to have one of your names; he's not having them both."

"Well, how about we name him after you then? We could call him Chase."

Annabeth took her eyes off her work at that suggestion. She raised her eyebrows, "You want to name our son _Chase_?"

"Yeah, I kinda like it. Don't you?" I asked.

"No."

"Oh come on. It's your family's name. Wouldn't you like your son to have it? I know your dad would love it if we named his grandson after him."

She shook her head, "You really want to call him Chase?"

I smiled, "Yeah, I really do."

She gave me a little grin, "Fine, we'll name him Chase, but just so you know, I'll be calling him CJ."

…

I had my face pressed against the nursery glass, staring at the seven pound, four ounce, twenty-one inch long baby boy. He was sleeping like a rock, swaddled in his tiny blue blanket. I stood in awe of that helpless infant who had my name on his wrist. He was beautiful and strong and healthy, and he was mine…my son. He was his mother's and my little miracle. We'd wanted him so badly and tried for him for so long, and now he was here, our brand new baby boy. I was the happiest father in the world.


	10. Let It Go Pt 3

**Spoiler Alert: This chapter contains a spoiler for H&L 2. The coinciding chapter of H&L 2 is now up. If you like a good cliffhanger, go ahead and read this. If not, I suggest you read this after chapter 11 of H&L 2.**

**-dmac**

Let It Go

Part 3

Jason and Thalia

I let Jared talk me into going on an actual date with him…to a fancy restaurant…where I'd have to dress up. What in Hades was I thinking? I don't know how to dress up and look presentable, much less look pretty. I was in panic-mode when I IM'd Annabeth for shopping advice, and I thought she'd never stop laughing at me. I wanted to strangle her through the message. When she was finally over her laughing fit, she gave me some pointers: what style dress to buy, go with flats, not heels, and be easy on the dark eye make-up.

I took her advice and went with a blue calf-length dress and some sort of strappy-sandal. The chick at the boutique said they were the latest fashion trend. I went to the salon to have my hair and make-up done, because I would've turned out looking like a TV vampire had I done it myself. My hairdresser curled my now shoulder-length black hair and pulled it up off my neck, and she went easy on the make-up just like Annabeth said I should.

When I got home from the salon, I slipped into my new dress and sandals, and I took a look at myself in the mirror. Not bad. Jared could definitely do worse.

"Thalia!" I heard my brother's voice ring as he walked into our apartment. "Thalia, you home?"

I walked out of my bedroom and into the kitchen where Jason was digging through a grocery bag he'd placed on the counter. "What?" I asked.

"I went to the market like you asked, but they didn't have that carambola fruit you like, so I got fresh pineapple instead," he said, then looked up from the bag. He blinked a few times when he saw me wearing a dress. "Look at you all slutted-up," he laughed.

"Shut your mouth," I ordered. "I already feel like a freak in this get-up."

"Well, you look gorgeous," he smiled. "Hot date tonight?"

I rolled my eyes, "Jared's taking me to dinner."

"Ah. You're not going to El Cholo, are you?" he asked.

I shook my head, "No, we're going to Campanile."

Jason's eyes widened, "Which god did you bribe to get a reservation at Campanile?"

It was a good question. The Italian restaurant over on La Brea that Jared was taking me to was notorious for requiring reservations made months in advance. The place was always packed, and I hear their truffles are to die for.

"I didn't bribe anyone," I said. "You'll have to talk to Jared about that. And why did you want to know if we were going to El Cholo? You know I don't like Mexican food."

Jason blushed a bit before saying, "Because I'm taking Amy there for dinner."

I couldn't decide whether I should laugh hysterically or squeal like a fangirl, so I did neither. I just smiled and nodded, "Oh, well, good. Have fun."

"Have fun? That's it? That's all you're going to say?" he pouted. "This is my first real date…ever, and all you can say is _have fun_?"

I couldn't contain my laughter anymore. I was so tickled that I could barely catch my breath when I asked, "What did you want me to say?"

Jason continued to pout, "I don't know. Maybe you could give me some sisterly advice on dating?"

I was laughing even harder now, "You're kidding me, right? Jason, I'm the last person you should be getting dating advice from. My best dates with Jared involved weapons, blood, and ruthless monsters in the back allies of L.A. I don't imagine that's the average chick's idea of a good time."

Jason stared at me blankly for a second like maybe he was imagining himself and his waitress friend on a monster hunt. He finally shook his head, "You're right. Nevermind."

…

I was so nervous. I actually thought I might puke on the cab ride to Amy's apartment. I don't know why I was so nervous. It's not like I've never been around women; I've been around and been with many women. Granted they were crack whores back in my doping days, but still. Maybe I was nervous because this was different. I liked Amy. She wasn't like those random tweakers who I bedded as payment for an ounce. (You'd be amazed how many chicks don't have money for their drugs.) This was a date, my first date, and gods, I was going to puke.

I was able to compose myself after a pep-talk from the cab driver, and I knocked on Amy's apartment door with confidence. She opened the door and _wow_. I'd never seen her out of her work uniform before, so to see her standing there in a multi-colored sundress with her curly blond hair resting on her shoulders and her blue eyes sparkling…I was speechless.

"You found me," she smiled. "I was worried I might've given you crummy directions."

I shook myself out of my trance. "The cab driver knew just where to go," I said. "And you look amazing, by the way."

She blushed, "Thanks."

"Shall we?" I said as I offered her my arm. She hooked her arm with mine, and I led her to the cab I had waiting.

We made small-talk on the short cab ride to the restaurant, and during dinner we got to know each other better. I told her everything there was to know about me and my past, except for the Roman demigod part. I knew my struggle with addiction might scare her away, but if there's one thing I've learned from my AA meetings: be honest, no matter how much it may hurt.

Amy already knew I was a recovering addict from the chats we'd had at the diner where she worked. To my surprise, she wasn't turned off by my problem in the slightest; in fact, I was even more surprised to learn she was once an addict herself. She became addicted to painkillers after a sports injury in college. The cost was her scholarship and she dropped out of college soon after. She cleaned up, though, and has been clean for three years.

After dinner we took a long walk around town, enjoying the nice spring air and each others company. Not long after sunset, I walked her back to her apartment. I knew she had to work the opening shift at the diner tomorrow, so I didn't want to keep her out too late. I mean, I could've walked around the city with her all night, but I had a good feeling that we'd be doing this again soon.

When we reached her apartment door, that nervousness I had before the date returned. I wanted to kiss her good night, but was it too soon? Was that appropriate on a first date? Should I ask her before I try?

"I had a really nice time tonight, Jason," she smiled.

"So did I," I said. "I wish you didn't have to work tomorrow. I kinda wanted to take you down to the pier and maybe get some dessert."

She raised an eyebrow, "Um…"

Oh, gods, I sounded like a perv, didn't I? "Ice cream," I quickly corrected myself. "You know that really good sorbet vender down by the pier?"

She laughed, "Yeah, I know what you're talking about. It's really good sorbet. Maybe we could do that next time."

Next time. She said next time. There was going to be a next time. "When do you think next time might be?" I asked.

"I've got the weekend off, so maybe we could get together then," she suggested.

I smiled, "This weekend sounds great."

"Well, until this weekend…" she trailed off, and I knew it was now or never. I leaned toward Amy and kissed her…and she kissed me back. It was a soft, short kiss. A perfect kiss for a first date, I would think.

When our lips parted, she smiled, "Good night, Jason Grace."

I returned the smile, "Good night, Amy…I just realized I don't know your last name."

"Finn," she said. "My last name is Finn."

I nodded, "In that case, good night, Amy Finn."


	11. Remind Me Pt 3

**AN: This chapter is the last Reyna/Dakota chapter I'll ever publish. I love these two characters, but it's time to retire them. It's bittersweet for me to let go of my first OCs, but it's time. Also, this chapter contains a little fluff. You've been warned. -dmac**

Remind Me

Dakota and Reyna

Part 3

It was a Monday night, and I was sitting at the hotel bar drinking a beer while I waited for my colleague to arrive. We planned to watch the 49ers game on the big-screen here in the bar, but when the second quarter of play started, Jeff still hadn't shown up yet. No surprise, really. He'd been hitting on a pretty brunette in the elevator earlier, so I bet he got himself a date; he's quite the ladies man.

I'd just finished a beer and was groaning at the TV about a bad call the ref made when a woman sat down on a barstool beside me. She must've heard me bitching about the call because she asked, "49ers fan?"

I looked to my left where she had taken a seat and said to her, "I live in San Francisco, so I kind of have to be."

She leaned toward me and whispered, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

I laughed.

She was a pretty woman, probably in her late twenties with blondish-red hair and baby blue eyes. She was dressed business-casual and had set her tote bag filled with papers at the foot of her barstool.

"Well, actually, they're having a pretty good season," she smiled. "They might even make the playoffs."

She knows about football? So cool. "Can I buy you a drink?" I asked her.

"That would be great, um…"

"Dakota," I held out my hand.

She shook my hand, "Vikki."

"Nice to meet you, Vikki."

The bartender walked down to us, "So, what'll it be?"

"Another beer for me and…" I turned to my new acquaintance.

"Same," she said.

While the bartender was getting our drinks, I checked my phone to make sure Reyna hadn't tried to call or text. She hadn't, so I stuffed it back into my pocket. We got our drinks, and she turned hers up, taking a man-sized swallow.

"Thirsty?" I asked.

She laughed, "It's been a long day."

"That it has," I agreed. I'd been in meetings with developers and consultants all day. Gods, I'd much rather been in the lab.

"So, Dakota, what brings you to Dallas? Business or pleasure?"

"Business."

She nodded, "Me, too."

"Where are you from?" I asked, making small-talk.

"St. Louis," she said, then took another drink of her beer. "I'm here for a medical conference."

"Really?" I asked. Medical…I knew about that all too well. "Are you a doctor?"

"Nurse. I wish I was a doctor."

I shook my head, "No, you don't."

"Why do you say that?" she asked. "Are you a doctor?"

"No, I'm a chemist. My wife's a doctor, and she practically lives at the hospital." Reyna's always at the hospital, which infuriates me sometimes, but I really have no room to gripe; my job keeps me on the road and away from home a lot, too. As a matter of fact, between my traveling and her being in surgery, I haven't seen my wife in two solid months…a trend that's been going on for a few years now.

"Oh, your wife is," she said like she was surprised to hear I was married, but I knew better. I'd noticed her glance at my wedding band when I reached for my beer. "What's her specialty?" she asked.

"She's a trauma surgeon."

"Oh, well, no wonder she lives at the hospital. I've worked in the ER a few times. It can get hectic, and it stays busy."

I finished off my beer and ordered us both another round. "Enough about work," I said. "Since you're obviously not a 49ers fan, who's your favorite team?"

She smiled, "The Rams, of course."

We talked sports and politics, bitched about the economy and the weather, and drank cold Coronas while watching the remainder of the football game. It was nice to sit down with someone and have an adult conversation that wasn't about work or their latest sexual conquest like my colleagues insist on doing. Vikki was good company. She reminded me a little of Reyna, actually. She was smart and funny, but not quite as high-strung as Reyna. Vikki was refreshingly down to earth, and she may have been flirting with me a little, but what can I say, the attention was kind of nice.

When the game was over, she stumbled off of her barstool, and I caught her before she fell. "Easy," I said. I don't know how much we drank, several beers and a few shots, I think. All I know is my tab was almost a hundred bucks.

She grabbed her tote and stumbled again. "I think I had one too many," she laughed.

"Come on," I said as I held onto her arm so she wouldn't fall. "I'll help you to your room."

"Good idea. Thanks, Dakota."

I helped her to the tenth floor and walked her to her door. She dug through her bag until she finally found her keycard. "I had a really nice time talking to you, tonight," she smiled.

I returned the smile, "I did, too."

Before I knew it, she was leaning in to kiss me. Her soft lips brushed against mine, and it took everything I had to raise my hands and place them on her shoulders, "Vikki, I can't."

She had that look in her eyes, that passion and need. Her tone was soft and seductive when she whispered in my ear, "She doesn't have to know."

I gently pushed her away from me, "But I'll know. I love my wife; I love her more than anything, so I can't."

I know she was disappointed, and hell, I might've been leading her on, but I knew this was something I couldn't do…ever. She respected my position, so she didn't push it; she just smiled and nodded, "You're a good husband, Dakota. Your wife's a lucky woman."

"I don't feel like a good husband right now," I said, and I didn't. I was on the brink of cheating on my wife with a woman I'd met in a hotel bar. Good husbands don't get themselves into situations like that.

"Go home, Dakota," she said. "Go home to your wife and tell her how much you love her."

Vikki turned to walk into her room and looked over her shoulder at me before she closed the door. Her eyes kaleidoscoped, and her appearance shifted slightly into someone familiar, a goddess who has meddled in my love life before.

"Venus," I breathed.

She did nothing more than wink at me then disappeared behind the closing door. I stood in that empty hallway and took a deep breath. As I walked toward the elevator, I pulled my phone from my pocket and called Reyna. Of course, it went to her voicemail, so I left her a message, "Hey, sweetheart. I uh, I was really hoping you would've picked up, but I know you're probably working. I just wanted to tell you that I'll be home tomorrow. Call me when you get this."

I hung up the phone and went to my hotel room to take a cold shower and pack my suitcase.

…

I didn't expect to hear from Kota, so tried to call him back when I got out of surgery, but it went straight to his voicemail; he was likely on the plane. I was surprised when I got his message saying he'd be home tomorrow, which was actually today now; I was in surgery all night. He'd left a note on the refrigerator door at our house three days ago saying he'd be gone on business for a week, but I guess his trip got cut short. And the note, well, that's the way we communicate anymore: notes, texts, and an endless game of phone-tag consisting of missed calls and voicemails. We both work…a lot, which doesn't leave us much time for each other. It's a shame, really; it didn't used to be like that.

I was exhausted when I got home; thirteen hours in surgery is exhausting. I took a shower and went straight to bed. I don't know how long I'd been asleep, a while, I guess, because I didn't even hear Kota come in, but I felt him lay down beside me in our bed.

I rolled over and sleepily said, "Hey."

"Hey. Sorry, I woke you."

"It's okay. How was your flight?"

"Bumpy," he said. "Did you work all night? I tried to call."

"Yeah, I was in surgery until this morning. I tried to call you back."

"I guess I missed it."

"Story of our lives, huh?" I shook my head. "What's happened to us, Kota?"

"I don't know," he sighed. "I don't know how we got to this."

"Me either."

"Reyna," he said and looked deep into my eyes. "Do you still love me?"

What kind of question was that? "Of course, I still love you, Kota. How could you even ask me that?"

"It's just been so long that I've forgotten what it was like to hear you say it." Gods, that made me feel horrible, but I knew what he meant, because I hadn't heard the words in a long time either.

"Do you still love me?" I asked him.

"You know I do."

"Tell me, Kota. Don't just assume I know."

He took my cheeks in his hands and said, "I love you more than anything." He kissed my lips softly then stared into my eyes. "Do you remember how things used to be between us?" he asked.

"Back when we couldn't get enough of each other?"

"Back when we couldn't control ourselves," he said as he leaned in and kissed my neck.

I wanted it to be that way again…so badly. I whispered in my husband's ear, "Remind me."

…

"Avery Dakota Mills!" she yelled, and I knew she was pissed. Moms only call their kids by their full names when they're in trouble.

"What's he done this time?" I asked my wife.

"Your son has a black eye and just slammed his bedroom door in my face," she scowled.

"_My_ son? My son wouldn't act like that. _Your_ son, however…"

She pointed toward our seven year-old's bedroom. "Kota, just go take care of it."

I knocked on Avery's door and peaked my head in the room. "Avery."

He was lying in his bed and pulled the covers over his head when he saw me. "Go away."

I sat down on his bed and pulled the covers back. Reyna was right; he had a shiner on his left eye. I brushed his shaggy, blond hair out of his face so I could get a better look at it. "Does it hurt?" I asked him.

He put on his strong-face and said, "No." He's as stubborn as his mother.

"Momma can make it feel better, you know," I told him. How many times Reyna has healed that reckless kid, I'll never know.

"It don't hurt," he insisted.

Of course, I didn't believe him, but I shrugged, "If you say so. How'd you get that, anyway? Did you get into a fight?" I expected him to try to lie to me; he knows fighting is against the rules.

He looked away from me.

"Avery, tell me what happened," I said in a sterner tone.

He slowly turned to me, trying to fight back the tears welling in his blue eyes. "Greg hit me," he finally said.

"Greg? The fifth-grader from down the street?" I asked, and he nodded. Well, at least my boy didn't get beat up by a smaller kid or a girl. "Why'd he hit you? Did you hit him first?"

"He's so mean, Daddy. He wouldn't leave me and David and Jenny alone. He kept hitting David with the basketball, and Daddy, he was calling Jenny bad, bad names. He pushed her, and I got so mad. I didn't want him to hurt her, Daddy, so I pushed him away from her," he explained as a tear rolled down his cheek. "Then he hit me."

"You were trying to protect your friend." That's something he gets from me, I guess, my fatal flaw being my protective instincts.

"But I didn't hit him back, Daddy, I swear. I didn't fight."

Props to the kid for following the rules and being the bigger man, but sometimes you gotta give somebody a beating to get a point across…though, Reyna would never see it like that. And besides, if Avery got into a fight every time his Mars-temper flared, I don't know what we'd do with him. Thank the gods he's got some self-control.

"I believe you, son, and I'm proud of you for sticking up for your friends and for not fighting. But you did slam the door on your momma."

He sighed, "I'm in trouble."

I shook my head, "Not if you apologize to her."

"Aww, do I have to?" he complained. And he's just as prideful as his mother, too.

"Would you rather be grounded?" I asked.

"Fine," he grumbled. "I'll say I'm sorry."

I grinned and ruffled his hair, "Good man. I'll get Momma so you can tell her, and so she can fix that eye."

He took a deep breath, "Okay, Daddy."

I walked out of my son's room to find Reyna standing in the hallway; she'd heard everything. "Your turn," I smiled.

She hugged me and rested her head on my chest. "He's a pretty good kid, huh?"

I nodded, "It's a miracle."


	12. Let It Go Pt 4

Let It Go

Part 4

Jason and Thalia

I was cooking supper for Thalia and me. It was spaghetti night. I handled the pasta and sauce while she made the toast. Toast was about all she could cook, and sometimes she even managed to burn that. Her idea of cooking supper was ordering Chinese or pizza.

"Jared coming over?" I asked her as I made our plates.

She shook her head. "What do you want to drink?" she asked. "Tea or water?"

"Tea," I answered. "I cooked enough for him, too. Call him."

"We're not together anymore," she muttered, and my mouth gaped open. They seemed pretty serious. I was shocked that they'd split.

We settled on the sofa with our supper, and I asked, "What happened?"

She shrugged. "Nothing happened. It just wasn't going to work between us."

"Why not?"

"Reasons," she answered. She was avoiding telling me what was really going on, so I dropped it. I'd confront her about it later.

We finished our supper, and I turned on the TV while Thalia loaded the dishwasher. When she was finished with the dishes, she grabbed the TV remote and turned off the power.

I was about to complain, but the look on her face told me she had something to say.

"We need to talk," she said.

"About?" I asked.

"A lot of things."

"Like?"

"Like what you're going to do when I leave."

What the heck was she talking about? "You're leaving?"

She nodded and sat down beside me on the sofa. "In a couple of weeks."

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I got a job in Miami," she said. "There's a group of demigods down there who run a sort of monster slaying service. I got a call from them with a job offer, and I took it."

That actually sounded like the perfect job for her. She'd had trouble holding a job here in L.A., but then again, so had I. Our ADHD made it difficult to stick with anything for long. And I guess that was the reason she and Jared split; she was moving away.

"I'm happy for you, Thalia. That sounds like a dream-job."

"Now we need to discuss what you're gonna do."

I shrugged. "I guess I'll just have to find a job myself."

"About that," she began. "I also got a call from Chiron. He needs a trainer at Camp Half-Blood. I had to turn him down, but I told him you might be interested. I think you should do it. I think it'd be best, since I won't be around anymore."

"You don't think I can take care of myself?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Do you remember how things were when I first moved out here? How well you were taking care of yourself then?"

She'd come out here two years ago when I was beating on death's door with a whiskey bottle. I was strung out on booze and drugs; I'd completely lost control of my life. She helped me get clean when I was sure I was way beyond help. The sister I barely knew was forced to give up her immortality and was sent here to help me. She could've let me rot for what my mistakes had cost her. Instead, she saved my life. I'd come to love her for that, and I'd always owe her…always.

"You don't think I can stay clean, do you?" I said.

"Do you think you can?"

I didn't know if I could or not. I'd only been clean for a year. The year before that, I relapsed four times before I was able to stay sober. It was still a struggle, and it always would be. Thalia made it easier to stay clean. She kept me in line.

I had to be honest with her and myself. "No," I admitted. "I don't think I can stay clean."

"You can at camp, and you know it. It's a good environment for sobriety."

She was right about that. It wasn't like there was a dealer at every corner at a kids training camp. Here in L.A., that wasn't the case. The temptation was everywhere here. Trainer would be a great job for me, too. I'd had experience as a trainer and leader before. I was once praetor of a legion for gods' sake. Surely I could handle being a trainer at Camp Half-Blood. There was only one thing…

I sighed. "Amy." I'd finally found a woman I really cared about. After Piper's death, I didn't think I could ever love again. Amy was changing my mind about that.

"Jason, I know you really care about Amy, and if you're sure she can help you stay clean and sober, then by all means stay here in L.A. Marry the girl, start family, whatever, but don't risk your sobriety, your life for her."

I was at a crossroads, and I didn't know what I should do: stay or go. It was moments like that when I wanted a drink, needed a drink like I needed to breathe. All those skeletons and ghosts from my past reared their ugly heads, telling me to go back to the drugs, and suddenly I felt like I couldn't escape those bad choices I'd made. Stress and emotions were pulling me in all directions, and I needed a fix to make it all go away.

"This is a lot to think about," I said.

Thalia nodded. "I know. You have two weeks to think it over."

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. "I need to find a meeting," I said. In situations where I felt like I might relapse, an AA meeting would remind me of what I'd worked so hard for and what was at stake.

Thalia grabbed my hand and pulled me up off the couch. "Come on," she said. "I'll go with you."

…

My brother was sitting on the edge of his bed repeating the Serenity Prayer. "Gods, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Over and over, he said the prayer, all while staring at a bottle of vodka that was sitting on the dresser across the room. He'd had a rough day. He'd broken things off with his girlfriend, Amy. He'd taken Chiron up on his offer to become Camp Half-Blood's trainer. It was for the best; it really was, but his relationship with Amy was the cost.

He'd been in his room for hours, staring at that bottle. I was keeping an eye on him. I certainly didn't want him to fall off the wagon, but this was something he'd have to face alone. I couldn't help him with this. He'd have to decide how strong he really was on his own.

He'd lost so many pieces of his soul over the years, and I wasn't sure he'd ever get them back. He lost Piper, then he lost himself. He was still carrying all that pain with him; he was carrying around the past in a hundred pound sack, and he just couldn't let it go. I was worried for him. This could've been too much for him to deal with.

He stood up from his seat on the bed and walked over to the dresser. He grabbed the bottle of vodka and walked out of his room and into the kitchen. I wasn't sure what was about to happen. He unscrewed the lid and instead of taking a drink, he poured the entire bottle down the sink.

Gods, I was so proud of him. I don't think I'd ever been so proud in all my life.

He walked over to me. We both had tears in our eyes. "It doesn't control me anymore," he said. "I'm through. I'm through holding onto it all. I have a second chance. You gave me a second chance, Thalia. I'm not going to waste it."

He walked to the door to our apartment and kept on walking out the door, down the hall, and into the elevator. He had his head held high when the elevator doors closed. I walked to the window and looked down at the street. It was raining, and when Jason stepped out onto the sidewalk he just stood there.

He finally put it all behind him: Piper's death, his addiction, everything. He stood out in the rain and let it wash it all away. He let it go. He finally let it all go.

I wished I could do the same. I wished the rain could wash away the resentment I still felt toward my brother. I was proud of him, and I loved him, but I didn't forgive him. He cost me my immortality. He cost me an eternal life. He cost me the Hunt. I couldn't forgive him for that. I couldn't let that go.


	13. Storm Warning Pt 1

Storm Warning

Part 1

Thalia and Apollo

Miami was hot, humid, and swarming with mosquitoes, alligators, and monsters. I fucking loved it. It was like being in the Hunt again, except I was getting paid—paid handsomely. After only a year of working as a bounty hunter for Slayers Inc., I'd saved up enough money to put a down payment on a house.

I was tired of living in cramped apartments in the city. I'd lived in Los Angeles with my brother for two years and here in Miami for a year. I missed the quiet and open spaces that I'd become accustomed to in my seven years on the Hunt.

I bought a house in small community outside Miami. It was an old house in an older community, but it was quiet and I had good neighbors. About the most excitement that happened there was a gator getting into someone's garage or swimming pool, in which case, they usually called me. A gator was a piece of cake compared to what I came up against on a daily basis at work.

I loved my job. I got to hunt and slay monsters and play with all the coolest toys of the trade: flamethrowers, modified assault rifles, harpoons, airboats, you name it. Our warehouse was like Toys"R"Us for demigods. Well, I say demigods, but not all the bounty hunters were demigods. There were a dozen of us, and we came from all sorts of backgrounds: Greek and Roman demigods, legacies, former Amazons, and me, the only former Hunter…ever.

Most people are shocked to learn that I used to be a Hunter of Artemis. Artemis doesn't just let her Hunters flake on their oath. Leaving the Hunt was a death sentence in every case but mine. It wasn't my decision to leave the Hunt. My father forced Artemis to release me from my oath, even though I was adamant about staying. In the end, I had no choice. Artemis released me per Zeus's orders and told me that I was free, that she wouldn't hold the unfortunate circumstances against me, but I could never return, even after I'd completed the task Zeus was charging me to. I didn't understand why she wouldn't let me come back. She told me that the temptations of the outside world would make it impossible for me to return.

Men. That's what she was talking about. And she was right. I met a son of Mars while living in Los Angeles. We started out as friends who liked to slay the monsters that roamed the back allies of L.A. Then one thing led to another, and suddenly we weren't getting hot and sweaty just from fighting monsters.

Jared and I were a couple for a year—right up until I made the decision to come to Miami. I really cared about him, and I was hoping he'd make the move with me, but his mother was in bad health, and there was just no way he could leave California. We went our separate ways on good terms, though. We're still friends today, and we still IM one another every once in a while.

The girls at the office thought it was time I started dating again, so they set me up on a blind date. I was not amused. I wasn't some loser who needed her girlfriends to set her up with a stranger just to get a date. Well, actually I was, but that's just because I lived the job, and didn't have the time or the want to date anyone. Emily, a former Amazon and my boss, told me she'd get me a new company truck if I indulged her, so I did.

I was to meet Blake, the graphic designer who designed our website and business cards, at a club in the city. I got all—as my brother would say—slutted up and went to the club to face my humiliation.

I sat at the bar and sipped club soda while I waited for Blake to arrive. As I waited, I scanned the club. I always liked to know my surroundings and have an exit strategy. As I was looking out onto the dance floor, I had a strange feeling wash over me. I felt something…powerful. It was like a subtle hum or wave of heat that settled over my skin. It was a presence that I felt. There was a god in the room.

…

I sensed her as soon as she walked into the club. I'd know that piece of work anywhere. She'd once been my sister's favorite pet demigod, but now, she was fair game.

I'd had a thing for Thalia since the first time I met her. She was strong-willed, ambitious, hardcore, and smokin' hot. Anytime I had an excuse to pay Sis a visit, I'd make a point to harass Thalia. I loved getting that girl rallied up, and she never backed down from me. She didn't cower or just roll her eyes like the other girls did. She was a leader, and she made sure I knew it. She'd give me grief and call me out when I'd flirt with her, but I didn't mind. Her brazenness made her all the more attractive.

I saw her sitting at the bar. She looked like she was waiting on someone. Not me, but I was who she was going to get. As I made my way over to her, I noticed how much her appearance had changed in the four or so years since I'd last seen her. First of all, she was wearing a dress, a sexy blue number that showed quite a bit of skin. I'd never seen her in a dress, but damn, did she look good in it. Her once short, spiky black hair was now a wavy sheet of silk that draped just past her shoulders. Her skin no longer glowed with the blessing of Artemis, but the golden tan she'd acquired from the Florida sun suited her well—you're welcome. Her eyes were still that electrifying blue, but age was beginning to resurface on her. I mean, she looked eighteen, not sixteen—nothing drastic.

I came up behind her and asked, "Can I buy you a drink?"

She didn't turn to look at me. "I have a drink," she said and waggled her glass of…ugh, was that club soda?

"Let me get you something a little stronger," I said.

"I don't drink, Apollo."

Ah, so she knew it was me. "How'd you know?"

She turned to me. "I could never forget that poetic voice."

"Seriously?"

"No," she said, rolling her eyes. "I felt a godly presence. I knew it was you. You give off a wave of horny that's repulsive."

See what I meant about giving me grief?

I sat down on the barstool beside her and called to the bartender, "Hey, Joe, can I get a whiskey sour and another club soda for the lady?"

"You got it," he nodded and began making our drinks.

"So, Thalia, long time, no see. What brings you to Miami?" I asked.

"The weather."

"Mmm, it is beautiful here, but what's the real reason?"

She traded Joe her empty glass for the full one then turned to me. "I moved here for work," she said.

"Ah, hunting monsters in the Everglades, huh?"

She blinked. "How'd you know?"

"Oh, I know about the bounty hunters, and that seems like a perfect fit for you. They do good work. This city would be overrun with big nasties if it weren't for what you guys do. Ever since the half-horsemen left the Glades, that swamp's become a breeding ground for everything Tartarus throws up. Kinda like Macedonia was back in the day."

"Yeah, we stay pretty busy," she nodded then looked like she was going to say something else, but didn't.

"What?" I asked her.

"I, uh…have you seen Artemis lately?"

I nodded, "Yeah, a few weeks ago."

"She's well?"

Hmm, she was asking about my sis. Thalia had served Artemis as her lieutenant for years, but she'd left the Hunt a few years ago. I wondered if she'd seen or talked to her since.

"As well as ever," I said. "You miss her, huh?"

"She was my goddess. Of course, I miss her." She sighed. "I still pray to her. She never answers."

People sometimes have the misconception that my sis is a sweet and peaceful goddess, but in truth, she's wrathful and a hardass. I wasn't surprised that she'd never spoken to Thalia again after what happened. Had it been Thalia's decision to leave the Hunt and not Zeus's, she'd have never survived the vengeance Artemis would've taken for breaking the oath.

I shrugged. "Eh, you know Sis: ever the bitch."

"Don't talk about her like that!" Thalia demanded.

I backed off. Seemed Artemis was a touchy subject. "Sorry," I said. "Maybe she'll come around one of these days. Sometimes it takes her a while to forgive when she thinks she's been wronged so badly. I could talk to her if you want?"

She shook her head. "No, that's probably not a good idea."

"You're probably right," I said, then decided it was time to change the subject.

We talked for hours about anything and everything. It was nice to catch up, and I could tell she was relieved to have someone to talk to, someone from her past that she knew and who knew her. My strategy for picking up girls usually wasn't chatting for hours, but as we talked, my intentions totally changed.

I'd initially been hoping to get her drunk, take her home, and have my way with her. I should've known that strategy wouldn't work with Thalia. She was a force of nature that wouldn't be taken advantage of. She was a hot mess, the kind of woman you couldn't get out of your head, the kind you could never forget, the kind of woman who caught you off your guard and stole your heart right out of your chest.

"It's getting late, Apollo," she said, glancing at the clock. "I should get going. I have to work in the morning."

"I'll walk you out," I said, offering her my arm, which surprisingly she took. I wasn't going to ask her to stay or come to my place. It wasn't time for that, not with her.

I walked her to her beat-up truck and before she got in I said, "It was really nice seeing you again, Thalia. I don't often run into people from my past."

"I know the feeling," she said then smiled. "It was nice catching up." She leaned in and kissed my cheek, and my heart did a little drum roll that it hadn't done in a centuries. "Good night, Apollo."

"Good night, Thalia."

Right before she shut the truck door I called to her, "Hey, you think maybe we could grab lunch sometime?"

"I think I'd like that," she said. "You know where I work. Just stop by."

I didn't get a heads-up. I didn't get any kind of warning that the storm that was Thalia Grace would steal my heart that night. It just happened. I fell so hard for her. And I knew I had my work cut out for me to make her mine, but I was determined to make that girl love me.


	14. Relentless Pt 1

**AN: Yeah, so I'm kinda on a roll with the Grace family. More Thalia/Apollo is complete and will be up shortly. Just be glad I'm updating. -dmac**

Relentless

Part 1

Jason and Calypso

It was October when I arrived at Camp Half-Blood. It had been six years since I walked out of camp on the night they burned Piper's shroud. I wasn't sure how coming back here would affect me. Turns out, it wasn't as heart wrenching as I'd been expecting. I'd made peace with the past, with Piper's death, and seeing this place again—being here—made me smile with memories of the good times she and I spent together.

I dropped my duffle bag on the Big House porch and offered Chiron my hand. The centaur clasped my forearm in the Roman tradition to show respect for my heritage. "Jason Grace," he smiled. "Welcome back."

"Good to be back, sir. Thanks for the job."

"Thank you for accepting it. I was really in a bind. Our previous trainer had to leave us at the end of the summer. He was going off to med school."

"Yeah," I nodded. "Thalia said you were pretty desperate."

"The way she talked, so were you."

I rubbed the back of my neck. So Chiron knew about my past. "I need stability if I'm going to stay clean," I told him. "I figured this was a good place for me."

Chiron smiled and put his hand on my shoulder. "We'll keep you on the right track, son."

I gave the centaur a nod of appreciation. "So, is there an orientation for the job or something?"

Chiron laughed. "Nah, I trust you can handle making your own training schedules and programs for the kids. You're pretty experienced after all. We don't have many campers here at the moment. There are only about twenty year-rounders. They mostly concentrate on schoolwork during the winter months, but you can schedule some training sessions with them in their off time. And if you'd be willing, we could use a Latin teacher. I've been busy teaching other subjects, so unfortunately Latin had to be cut."

"Sure," I said. I was fluent in Latin and well versed in the history; all Roman demigods were. "I'm not sure how I'll do teaching in a classroom setting, but I'll give it a shot."

"Excellent. So, we have a room for you here in the Big House. Down the hall, third door on the left. I'll let you get settled in. If you need anything, just tell Grover. He's around here somewhere."

I grabbed my duffle. "Thanks, Chiron."

He smiled. "Make yourself at home."

I walked into my room, which was larger than I'd expected. There was a queen sized bed, a dresser with a small TV on top, a bedside table with a lamp and alarm clock, and a small desk in the corner with a laptop computer sitting on it. The room also had a closet and an adjoining bathroom.

I unpacked my duffle bag, putting my clothes away in the closet and dresser and putting my toiletries in the bathroom. I didn't have a lot of personal possessions. I didn't even have my gladius anymore. I'd sold it at a pawnshop years ago when I needed money for smack. Gods, I was pathetic back then.

There was one thing I'd kept all these years, though. It didn't have any monetary value, only sentimental value. Other than my tattoo, it was the last connection I had to my days with the legion and the Greeks. It was my Camp Half-Blood necklace. I'd only spent one summer at Camp Half-Blood, so it had only a single bead. The bead was solid white with the outline of a dove etched in black. It was designed in Piper's honor. I'd never worn it, but I carried it with me always. Today, I put it on for the first time.

…

I arrived at Camp Half-Blood five years ago. Zeus finally fulfilled his promise to Percy. Took him long enough. I guess pardoning demititans wasn't at the top of the god's to-do list. When I left the island, I had nowhere to go except Camp Half-Blood. I was granted asylum and amnesty here at camp, and over the years, I've made it my home. I stay here year-round and teach the children who also stay here year-round. Chiron allowed me to build a cottage in a quiet corner of camp where I could have plenty of privacy. The Hephaestus kids did a fine job with the construction. I'd been all alone on an island for millennia, and being around so many people took some getting used to. The cottage was my escape from the crowd—my island at camp.

When Will vacated the trainer position at the end of the summer, Chiron and I began the search for a new trainer. He wanted a veteran demigod for the job, so we began IMing potential candidates. When he told me he'd found a trainer and told me who it was, my heart fluttered. Jason Grace. The hero I'd fallen in love with so many years ago, the hero I'd to said goodbye to, twice. The hero I'd never expected to see again was going to be living here at camp. I wasn't sure what to think or feel about that. I hadn't seen Jason in six years, but just thinking about him stirred emotions inside me that I thought were long forgotten.

I was nervous about seeing him. It was stupid. I shouldn't have been so flustered, but the memories of our time together on Ogygia had my emotions stirring. What would I say to him? How would he react to seeing me again? Did he still care about me at all? Did he even remember me, for that matter?

Only one way to find out.

After teaching my morning classes, I went to the Big House. I'd been told Jason had arrived a few hours earlier. I walked down the hall to the room Jason had been assigned. The door was open, and I saw him sitting at his computer desk, scrolling through what looked like camp's roster. I stood in the doorway, watching him for a few minutes. He had his back to me, but I could tell he'd changed over the years. His hair was longer and shaggier than it was the last time I saw him, and he'd lost some of his muscle mass and weight.

"I can feel you watching me," he said without looking up from the screen. "Is there something I can help you with?"

I took a breath. "Hello, Jason."

His body tensed. He must've recognized my voice. He slowly swiveled his seat around and looked at me. He blinked a few times then said, "Calypso?"

"Long time," I smiled.

"I…" He shook his head. "I never expected to see you again. What are you doing here?"

"I live here," I told him. "I came here when I was released from my island prison."

A smile burst across his face. "You're free? That's amazing, Calypso."

I shrugged. "It's been an adjustment, but I'm getting used to it."

He walked over to me, still smiling, and hugged me. "It's so good to see you," he said.

I fought back the butterflies flapping around in my stomach and managed to say, "It's good to see you, too."


	15. Storm Warning Pt 2

Storm Warning

Part 2

Thalia and Apollo

"You look ridiculous," I said.

"Hey," he pouted. "This is my best armor. It's functional and fashionable."

Apollo was standing in the Slayers, Inc. warehouse dressed in full Greek battle armor: solid gold muscle breastplate and backplate, bracers and greaves, along with a war helm that sported a blue horsehair plume that matched his eyes perfectly.

"Functional, yes. Fashionable…maybe it was a few thousand years ago, but not now. And how much does all that shit weigh?"

He shifted uncomfortably in his attire. "It's pretty heavy."

"Bobby," I called to my colleague. "Can you get Apollo set up with something a little more modern?"

"You bet," Bobby said. "Come with me, Lord. We'll get you lookin' right."

Apollo followed Bobby to the armory, and I had to bite my lip to keep from busting out laughing at him clanking in all that armor. Don't get me wrong, the armor was beautiful, but with how far technology has come in recent years, all those heavy plates just weren't necessary anymore.

"So, it's bring-a-god-to-work day?" Rosa asked, walking up to me. Rosa was a daughter of Demeter that had been a bounty hunter since the operation began.

I shrugged. "He insisted. Was I supposed to tell him no?"

"I suppose not. What's going on with you two, anyway?" she asked.

"We're friends," I said.

"Uh-huh, sure you are," she grinned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, come on, Thalia. I see the way you two look at each other. There's more to it than just being friends."

"I'm not sleeping with him, Rosa."

"Oh, I know you're not," she said. "With all that sexual tension bouncing around between the two of you, I can tell you're not. The question is: why aren't you? He's hot."

"He's the sun god."

She gave me a sideways look. Okay, it was a bad joke.

"Look, it's not like I haven't thought about it," I told her. "I just…I don't know if it would be a good idea to start a romantic relationship with a god. That could get complicated."

"Honey, if you're waiting around for a relationship that isn't complicated, you're gonna be waiting forever. Take it from me. I've had two marriages, and they were both complicated and neither of the men I married were gods."

"You think it would be smart?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Smart's overrated. Just have some fun."

"How do I look now?" Apollo asked as he and Bobby came walking up.

How did he look? Rugged, sexy, and delicious came to mind. He'd ditched the heavy armor for our normal gear. He was wearing a pair of black BDU pants, black combat boots, and a white tee shirt. The tee shirt was mostly covered by a black carbon fiber and Kevlar composite bulletproof vest. Around his waist was a tactical belt where a sword hung in a scabbard on his left side and a dagger on the right. A Glock .45 was resting in a holster strapped to the outside of his right thigh, and a high-tech longbow and quiver were strapped to his back.

I smiled. "Now that's more like it."

"I like this vest," he said as he tugged at it. "Bobby says the material is impenetrable."

I nodded. "It's saved my life a few times."

"Who came up with this material?"

"A son of Hephaestus designed it, but a son of Mars named Dakota was the first to use it in this type of application," Bobby told him, then a shit eating grin spread across Bobby's face. "You know Dakota, don't you, Apollo?"

"Yeah, I know him," Apollo grumbled. "He's married to my daughter."

Awkward.

"Uh, I'm gonna get suited up," I said. "Why don't you guys hitch the airboats to the pickups?"

I went into the armory to strap on my gear, which was basically the same as Apollo's. I already had on a pair of green fatigues, my combat boots, and my shield, Aegis, was in charm-form on a bracelet around my left wrist. I put a vest on over my gray tank top, and strapped on my tactical belt that held a sword and a can of mace that was actually my spear in its collapsed form. I checked the clip in my Springfield 9mm then slipped the gun into the holster on my right thigh. I threw my braid over my shoulder, grabbed a quiver full of carbon-shaft arrows and a carbon fiber composite longbow and strapped them to my back.

As I was putting on my gear, I thought about what Rosa said. Maybe it would be okay to take things a little further with Apollo. I mean, he'd been really patient. We'd been spending time together for months now. We'd have dinner, take road trips to the Keys, go to the beach—couple stuff. We just hadn't taken that next step into romance. He wanted to; he'd said as much, but I was hesitant, because I didn't know if he really cared about me or if he just wanted to get me in the sack. Now that I really thought about it, though, I don't know that he would've stuck around so long if all he wanted was a roll in the hay. Oh, what the hell, maybe I should give him a chance.

Six of us took our three small airboats across the Everglades to a mangrove cluster where a hydra had been nesting. This particular hydra had been giving us fits. She just refused to die. We'd fought her so many times that she now had close to twenty heads…plus a nest full of babies that had five heads each.

I was pumped. We were finally gonna take out this bitch and her brood.

Apollo was pumped, too. "This is gonna be so much fun!" he yelled to me over the sound of the airboat. "It's been a while since I've gotten down and dirty!"

And down and dirty was right. After it was all said and done, we were all covered in slime and mud and were soaking wet. It was a fucking blast. We were able to take out momma and the nest of babies. Apollo was a real asset, too. His flaming arrows hit their mark with every release of the string. We'd slice the heads off, and he would burn the necks. We were like a well-oiled machine out there.

"You coming back to the office or going home?" Emily, my boss, asked me once we had the airboats back onto the trailers.

"I'm gonna head on home," I said. "I need a shower. I'll bring the boat back to the warehouse tomorrow."

She nodded. "Good work out there today."

"Thanks."

Apollo and I climbed into my truck and headed to my house, which was only about fifteen miles away. The whole drive he couldn't stop talking about how awesome the job was. I was glad he had such a good time. I had fun working with him. We worked well together.

I pulled my truck into the driveway, and we took the side door into the garage. We were filthy, and I didn't want to track hydra slime through my house.

"Strip," I told Apollo and began stripping myself. "I don't want our clothes stinking up my house. I'm already gonna have a chore cleaning out my truck."

"Not modest, are you?" he grinned as we undressed.

I turned to him and smiled. "I only have one shower. Wanna join me?"

"Absolutely."

…

Sis doesn't call me up very often, so when she does, I know it's serious. And I had a pretty good idea of what she wanted to talk to me about.

"Hey, Sis, what's up? You needed to talk to me?" I asked as I came strolling up to Artemis.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "You smell like Thalia."

"Ugh," I grimaced and sniffed my armpit mockingly. "I smell like a girl?"

"You know what I mean. You've been with her."

"She's my girlfriend."

"Yes, I know. That's unfortunate for her."

"Hey, I'm a catch," I bragged shamelessly. "Who would you rather her be with?"

"I'd rather her be with me." Okay, she totally didn't mean that the way it sounded. She meant as her lieutenant on the Hunt.

"She could've been if you would've swallowed your pride and let her return to the Hunt. You blew it, Sis. That's on you."

"You know she couldn't return. You know my laws. Only maidens are allowed in my Hunt."

"And if you would've made that a stipulation of her return, she would've stayed a maiden. She would've done that for you. She would've done whatever you told her. She loved you and the Hunt that much. But you didn't give her that option, the option to return, so she went on with her life."

"I couldn't give her that option. I had to make an example out of her. And do you honestly think she could've resisted men while she was out there on her own?" she asked.

"Of course, she could've. She resisted me for months, and that's no small feat. Most women don't resist at all."

"That is not reassuring," she said, shaking her head. "Are you with only her, Apollo, or are you playing her like all the others?"

"There are no others, not anymore. It's only her now," I promised. "I'm not going to ruin this by running around on her. I care about her, and I don't want to lose her. And you know as well as I do that Thalia would never stand for me cheating on her."

"Seems you know her well."

"Not as well as you, but I'm learning."

She sighed. "I do miss her."

"Talk to her, Sis."

She shook her head. "I can't. I'm still too angry."

"But not at her?"

"I was never angry at Thalia, just at the situation and the position Zeus put me in regarding her. Out of all the Hunters I've had over the millennia, Thalia was one of my favorites. It was painful to lose her."

"Do you hear her prayers?" I asked. Thalia mentioned she still prayed to Artemis.

She nodded. "All the time."

"You should answer."

"Maybe someday I will. Don't hurt her, Apollo. She deserves to be happy. She's been through so much. Don't be another thing she has to survive."

"I love her, Sis."

"I know you do, but that doesn't mean you won't break her spirit and her heart."


	16. Storm Warning Pt 3

**AN: A special thanks to my IRL best friend for writing** **the lyrics to Apollo's lullaby. You're the best, bro. -dmac**

Storm Warning

Part 3

Apollo and Thalia

Gods are easily distracted. We always have been. It's in our nature. So for me to be in a monogamous relationship for two years now was something.

The domestic life wasn't so bad. I'd done it before. The last time was back in the 1400s when I was married. I wouldn't exactly call my relationship with Thalia domestic, though, but it was close. I stayed at her house a few days a week and came to think of it as home. And it was about to get homier.

"You been feeling alright?" I asked Thalia as I curled up next to her in bed.

"Fine, why?"

"No nausea or fatigue, nothing like that?"

She looked up at me. "I feel fine. Why are you asking me this?"

She wasn't feeling the symptoms yet. As the god of healing, I could sense everything that was going on biologically with her just by touching her. I knew when she had a headache, when her muscles were strained, when a cold was coming on, and I knew that she was pregnant. I just had to muster up the courage to tell her. Huh, usually that was the other way around.

"I have something to tell you," I said. "But you can't freak out. Promise you won't freak out?"

"What is it?" she asked.

"Promise me."

"I won't freak out, Apollo. What's going on?"

I took a breath. "You're pregnant."

She blinked. "I beg your pardon."

"You're pregnant," I repeated. "Five weeks along."

She pulled away from me and sat up in bed. "That's not funny, Apollo."

"Do you see me laughing?"

"No," she shook her head. "No, you told me that wouldn't happen. You said if we were careful, it wouldn't happen."

"Yeah, well, this isn't the first time I've been wrong."

"You son of a bitch!" she barked. "I can't believe this! I can't fucking believe this!"

"Hey, you said you wouldn't freak out."

"How could you let this happen?" she yelled.

"Me? Hey, it takes two, sweetheart. And it's kinda your fault, not mine."

"How the fuck is it my fault? You're the one with the super-human god seed."

"True, but you went to see Artemis, remember. You get around my Sis and fertility tends to increase…a lot. I didn't know this would happen, and I didn't mean for it to happen. We were as careful as we could've been, Thalia, but it happened anyway. And it happened right around the time you had your little visit with Artemis. If you want to blame someone, blame her."

She blinked. "You're not seriously making Artemis your scapegoat?"

"Look, you made it very clear you didn't want kids, and I respected that. I didn't want this anymore than you did, but here we are, and we need to decide what we're going to do."

She shook her head. "This can't be happening. This _can't_ be happening! I can't have a kid, Apollo!"

"And why not, Thalia?"

"Do I look like mother material to you?" she asked. "I'm a demigod, and I kill monsters for a living. My world is too dangerous for a kid."

"That's a bullshit excuse. How many of the people you work with have kids? I know Rosa is a single mom, and Shelby and her husband have a couple, and that one guy—Jimmy, Jamie, Jessie…" I couldn't remember the dude's name.

"Joey?"

"Yeah, Joey," I nodded. "He's got one on the way. It'll be his third. And what about all your old friends from camp? Annabeth is pregnant, I know. And don't the rest have a kid or two?"

She nodded. "Yeah, a lot of them do."

"See? People make it work, Thalia."

"But those kids are legacies. Ours will be a full-fledged demigod who'll attract monsters and who'll always be in danger. That's no life for a kid. I know; I lived it."

"This is different, because she'll have you. She'll be fine. She'll be strong like her mother, and who better to protect her from all that danger than you."

Thalia's expression softened. "She?"

Oops. "I guess I should've asked if you wanted to know the sex. I ruined the surprise."

"No, it's fine. I think I've already had enough surprises." She closed her eyes for a moment then opened them. "So…a baby girl. And she's…she's doing okay? Everything's normal?"

I smiled and touched my hand to Thalia's stomach. "She's perfect. She's strong and healthy, and she'll be ready to meet us in May."

"Us?" she asked.

"I know what you're thinking. You think I'll cut and run like I always do, but this time it's different, Thalia. It's different because I love you and we're together. I'll be around for you and our daughter. I'll be a father to her, and I'll…I'll be whatever to you that you need me to be."

"I need you to promise me you'll look out for her, always," she said. "I'm going to be a terrible mother, so I need you to watch over her and help her when she needs it."

I gripped her shoulders reassuringly. "You'll be a great mom. I know it. And I'll always be there for her," I promised. "Be happy, Thalia. We're gonna have a baby—a little piece of you and me running around this house. That's a happy thing."

…

He was sitting in the rocking chair in the nursery, our baby sleeping in his arms as he sang to her.

"_This skyway keeps stretching on,_

_On and on to bring_ _daylight, _

_But when your_ _memory comes callin', _

_You're the only thing on my mind. _

_And your love, it pulls me down, down, down, _

_To bring you back into my arms. _

_And those wheels keep spinning me round, round, round, _

_Around the world and into your heart."_

It was adorable. I didn't even know he was here; he must've just popped in.

"Hey, Momma," he whispered to me when he saw me standing in the doorway.

"Hey," I whispered. "You staying tonight?"

He nodded. "Go take a hot bubble bath then go to bed. I've got this."

I walked over and kissed Lexie's head then kissed Apollo. "Thank you _so_ much."

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too."

I ran a bath and poured myself a tall glass of iced tea then soaked my tired body in the hot bubbles. I'd fought monsters, gods, and wars all my life, but that was a piece of cake compared to raising an infant.

I loved my daughter. I loved her more than I thought I could ever love anything. But she was killing me. I was getting about three hours of sleep on the days Apollo wasn't around and maybe six hours when he was home.

It was getting better, though. The older Lexie got, the longer she slept and the less she cried. She was seven months old now, and Annabeth told me Chase started sleeping through the night at eight months, so here's to hoping Lexie would follow suit. I could certainly use a full night's sleep.

Apollo was a lot of help. I don't know that I could've done it without him. He'd been staying here about three days a week, and on those days, I'd work and he'd stay home with Lexie. He was a good father even though he wasn't always around, but hey, at least he was taking care of the bills and spending time with his daughter, which was more than I ever expected out of him.

I loved Apollo, but I wasn't under some delusion that he was a changed god. I knew it was only a matter of time until he got bored with me, and I was okay with that—I had to be, going into a relationship with him, because I knew how gods were. I knew I'd be heartbroken when he left, and I could deal with it, but that was before Lexie came into the picture. Now he wouldn't just be leaving me, he'd be leaving her, too, and that wasn't okay with me. He kept telling me he was in it for the long haul, though. We'll see.

After my bath, I went to bed and slept like a rock. I never even stirred until I heard Lexie crying at three a.m. I started to get out of bed, but Apollo stopped me; he must've come to bed at some point.

"I'll get her," he said.

I kissed him. "I've got this one," I told him. "You can have her all day tomorrow."

He yawned and rested his head back on his pillow. "Deal."

I changed Lexie, fed her, and rocked her until she went back to sleep. She was an interesting little thing. I had no idea where the brown hair came from. Not surprisingly, she had blue eyes, but they were soft, unlike mine and her father's—ours were bright and blazing. The color would probably deepen with age. And she was a fearless baby. I could already tell she was going to be a handful when she got older.

I wondered what powers she'd have and when they'd start to manifest. I wondered if she'd be more like me or her father. I wondered if I'd be able to protect her when the time came. And as I put her in her crib, I wondered how I ever lived life without her.


	17. Storm Warning Pt 4

**AN: This is the last of Thalia/Apollo. I'm working on Rachel/Nico now, and hopefully it'll be up soon. -dmac**

Storm Warning

Part 4

Thalia and Apollo

I was sitting at the kitchen bar in Percy and Annabeth's apartment, which was two floors up from mine. I'd moved to Manhattan about eight months ago, because there'd been a monster surge in Miami in the last year, and I was beginning to doubt that I could protect Lexie. She was only seven at the time, and we'd had some close calls. My boss told me and the others who had kids to get out of town, take a year off and go someplace where we'd be safe until the remaining bounty hunters could get the surge under control.

I really didn't have a lot of options on where I could go. Apollo and I…well, let's just say our relationship was rocky these days, so I wasn't about to ask him for help. I could've gone to Camp Half-Blood; Jason was living there with his wife. Lexie would've been safe there, but she would've loved it and wanted to start spending her summers there. I wasn't ready to let my baby girl go just yet, so camp was a last resort. Annabeth was the one who came to my rescue by finding me an apartment in the same building she and Percy were living in.

I'd missed my old friends over the years, and it was nice to be close to them again. But after eight months of living in an apartment in the city, I was really beginning to miss Miami, and I was ready to get back home. Lexie wasn't. I know she wanted to stay here in New York. And Chase Jackson was the reason.

Annabeth handed me a cup of coffee. "Percy gave them M&Ms, so they were up half the night," she said. Chase and Lexie had a sleepover in the pillow fort they'd built in Percy and Annabeth's living room.

The kids were still asleep. I'd looked in on them when I arrived to pick up Lexie. The fort was littered with candy wrappers, empty Dr. Pepper cans, crayons, coloring books, plastic toy swords, and suction cup arrows. They must've had a big time. Now they were passed out. Chase was sleeping on his stomach, drool running out of the corner of his mouth, and Lexie was sprawled on her back, an arm and leg lying across him. They were so cute. We'd definitely have to keep an eye on those two when they got older.

"She wasn't too much trouble, was she?" I asked Annabeth.

"Not at all. I have more trouble getting Percy to behave than I do with the kids."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

"I behave," Percy yawned as he walked into the kitchen. He'd just woken up. He had the bed-head.

"Nice hair," I told him as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Sexy, ain't it?" he grinned. "Oh, and speaking of sex, how about you take the kids tonight so I can have some uninterrupted time with my wife."

Annabeth punched Percy in the shoulder, but I just laughed.

"Sure," I said. "They can build a fort in my living room tonight."

…

I'd been knocking on the front door, but she wasn't answering. I knew she was there, but I guess she didn't want to see me. Too bad. I popped up in the kitchen where she was putting away the clean dishes. "Doors aren't really a problem for me, you know?" I said.

"Then why'd you bother knocking?" she asked, not even looking at me.

I shrugged. "Courtesy."

"Courtesy would be you taking the hint that I don't want to see you."

Oh, here we go again. "I didn't come here to fight, Thalia."

"Why'd you come here, then?"

"I saw Alexandria today," I said, and that got her attention. It had been a while since either of us had seen our daughter. She was fourteen now and living the camp-life these days, she had been for a few years.

She turned to me and asked, "You did?"

I nodded. "I had to run an errand at Camp Half-Blood, and I got to see her." I didn't tell Thalia that Lexie was going on a quest. It would only worry her. And besides, I'd be keeping an eye on Lexie. I always had. That was the one promise to Thalia I'd kept.

She smiled a sad smile. "How's our girl doing?" she asked. "I haven't talked to her in a few weeks."

"She's good. As beautiful as ever, just like her mother."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Flattery isn't going to work, Apollo."

"What will work?" I asked. "What can I do to get you back?" I wanted her back desperately.

"We've been through this."

"Just give me another chance," I begged. "I miss you."

"I've given you plenty of chances," she said. "It never works out between us."

"Because you won't let it."

"Apollo, what we had, when it was good, was great, and we have a beautiful, smart, wonderful daughter to show for it. She's the best thing we ever did, but you and I, we can't make it work no matter how hard we try."

"I'll try harder, I promise." I missed her, and I wanted to try again. I know we'd been through this half a dozen times throughout the years and it just never lasted, but I still loved her, and I wanted her back.

"You always promise, but eventually you go back to your old ways…and that's fine. I know you can't change who you are, but I can't be with you because of it."

"I love you, Thalia. You know that you and Lexie are my whole world. Why is that not good enough for you?" I asked.

"If that were the truth, it would be enough, but you and I both know that's a lie," she said. "We aren't your whole world. We're just a tiny sliver of it."

"You never have trusted me. After all these years of back and forth, together and apart, love and hate, you never once trusted me, did you?"

She shrugged. "At first I did, but you broke that trust, and after that you never gave me any reason to trust you again. I tried to look past it for the longest time, because I love you, but I can't ignore it anymore. Apollo, I can't be with someone I can't trust."

"But you love me, Thalia. You love me as much as I love you."

She shook her head. "Sometimes love just isn't enough."


	18. Bulletproof

Bulletproof

Rachel

I always enjoyed a good glass of wine, but tonight was a tequila kinda night.

"Dan, I need another," I said to the curly-haired bartender as I shoved my empty shot glass across the bar.

He walked down to where I was perched on my barstool and poured me another shot. "It's Dave, not Dan," he corrected me.

"Oh, well, it's nice to meet you, Dave," I slurred. "I'm Rachel."

"Yes, I know," he said, slightly annoyed. "You've already introduced yourself."

I had? I didn't remember doing that. "I did?"

"Yep," he nodded. "About four shots ago."

I threw back my shot and slammed the empty shot glass on the wooden bar. "Five shots ago, now," I laughed. "Keep 'em comin', Dan."

He poured me another and asked, "Rough day?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "I lost something."

"Oh, well, I hope you get it back," he said, and not very sincerely I might add.

"Can't," I said then downed my shot, which, by this time, no longer burned my throat. "It's gone forever."

"That sucks," he said with disinterest.

I waggled my empty shot glass. "Another."

He grinned as he wiped the bar where I'd spilled a little tequila. "You'd better slow down or you'll get sick," he warned.

I rolled my eyes. "_Okay, Mom._" Dan didn't look amused. "Don't worry," I told him. "I won't get sick. I'm bulletproof."

"Bulletproof, eh?" he chuckled as he poured more tequila into my glass. "I've heard that one before."

"Well, if you'd seen the things I have, and been through the things I've been through, then you'd believe me."

He raised an eyebrow. "That bad?"

"I've been to hell and back—literally. I'm pretty damn bulletproof," I assured him. "So don't you worry about me being able to hold my liquor."

"Do you have a cell phone, Rachel?" he randomly asked.

I pulled my phone out of my purse and placed it on the bar. He picked it up as I drank my shot.

"Care if I make a call?" he asked.

With the stupor I was in, I didn't care what he did with my phone. He could've put it in his pocket and kept it, and I wouldn't have given a shit. "Sure, just pour me another shot first."

He did then made a call. It was a short call and a moment later he set the phone back down on the bar beside my glass.

"Your ride home is on the way," Dan said.

"What?" I gaped. "You called me a cab? I'm not done drinking!"

"I didn't call a cab, I called your friend."

What in Hades? "What friend? How do you know my friends?"

"Rachel," he sighed, exasperated. "I just called the first person on the contacts list in your phone."

"_Oh, no, you didn't_!" I barked, because I knew who was the first contact in my alphabetically ordered contacts list. "Please tell me you didn't call Annabeth."

He gave me a shit-eating grin. "She's on her way down here."

_Son of a bitch. _

Dan had cut me off from the tequila, so I sipped club soda and nibbled on pretzels until Annabeth showed up. And when she walked in the bar, she did not look happy. Not surprising really, it was nearly two in the morning.

She shrugged her purse off her shoulder and sat down on the stool beside me. "Rachel," she greeted without any emotion at all.

"Annabeth," I returned.

"Dio—I mean Dave here said you'd had a few too many tonight. Want to tell me what's going on?" she asked.

Annabeth and I were friends—good friends, which was why I didn't want her to see me like this or explain it. I was drunk as hell, I'd gotten my hair chopped off at the salon earlier, and I'd even gotten a tattoo. It was a rebellious kinda day, and I went all out. I wasn't sure if she'd understand why I'd needed to do those things.

I avoided her question. "Percy let you out of the house?"

"Percy isn't the boss of me," she said matter-of-factly.

"Ah, that's right," I nodded. "You wear the pants in that marriage."

"Damn, right, I do," she grinned, and I let out a little laugh. Those two were made for each other, no doubt about it. They were the cutest thing since puppies. Seriously. "I like your haircut," she added.

I tugged at my now short red curls. "Not too much?" I asked.

"Nah," she said then went back into serious-mode. "Still upset about Nico?" she asked. That was Annabeth—no sugarcoating from her.

Nico was my boyfriend up until about six months ago when he left me, because he was ready to move on from the camp-life, but I wouldn't give up the spirit of the Oracle. We'd been together for years, so hell yeah, I was still upset about it, but that wasn't what this drunk was about.

"It's getting easier," I said, and it was, little by little, but I missed Nico a lot. He wasn't just my boyfriend, he was my best friend and that was what I missed the most.

"So, Nico's not what this binge is about," she guessed.

"Not entirely. I did something crazy today," I admitted. "And it might've been a mistake."

Annabeth didn't say a word; she just looked at me expectantly.

I rubbed my eyes to focus my blurry vision. It didn't work. "I gave it up," I said, finally. "I gave up the spirit. I'm not the Oracle anymore."

She blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "Really."

"You regret it?"

I shrugged "I don't know. All I know is, now I feel like I have two gaping holes inside me instead of one. When Nico left, he took a piece of me with him, and now, without the spirit, I feel even more empty."

"Why'd you do it?" she asked.

"Because he was right and I was wrong," I admitted. "Nico said it was time to move on, to give it up, but I didn't want to. Now, though…nothing's the same at camp without him. I hated being there without him, and I finally did what he wanted me to do, what I should've done then." I let out a bitter laugh. "Too little too late."

Annabeth snapped her fingers at Dan…or was it Dave? "Two tequila's down here, please," she called to the bartender. She turned back to me and gave me a sad smile. "Leaving camp for good is tough, and it's certainly an occasion to get shitty drunk."


	19. Can't Shake You Pt 1

Can't Shake You

Part 1

Rachel and Nico

I'd always loved Washington DC, so when Dad called me up for a favor that involved spending a few days in the capital, I jumped on it. DC was great. There was so much to do and so much to see. I actually thought about moving there, but I liked Manhattan too much to do that.

I arrived in DC on a Wednesday morning in June. The weather was beautiful and the city was begging to be toured. Dad needed me to be his date to a gala he'd been invited to on Thursday night (my father and I were on good terms these days), so that gave me a couple of days to enjoy the city.

I checked into my hotel suite, and after unpacking my suitcase, I hit the town. I'd been to DC several times back when I was in college, and I somewhat knew my way around. As I walked around admiring the monuments, I wished my art students could've been here to see it. They would've absolutely loved it.

It was just past one in the afternoon when I got the hankering for a latte. Little did I know, I'd see someone in that coffee shop in the capital city that I never expected to see again, and it would change my life.

I got my latte and was fumbling with my change when I turned and bumped into a man I didn't even see standing there. I wasn't really paying attention, so it was a wonder I didn't mow him down instead of just spilling a bit of my coffee on his spit-shined leather shoes.

"I'm _so_ sorry," I gasped when I saw that I'd probably just ruined his expensive loafers. I expected him to cuss me, but he was completely silent. I looked up to see a black business suit, black shirt, blue silk tie, and a face I hadn't seen in five years.

"Rachel?" he said wide-eyed.

I blinked. "Nico?" Oh, my gods, I couldn't believe it was him.

He shook his head to shake himself from his stunned state. "Wow," he expressed the same disbelief I had. "It's really you."

I laughed a little. "Yeah, it's me. I can't believe…" I didn't know what to say. I was so surprised to see him that I was at a loss for words. "What are you doing in DC?" I finally asked.

"I live here," he said, still looking a little stunned.

I didn't know he lived in DC. I didn't know anything about where he was or what he was doing these days. It wasn't like I never wondered about it, but it had been five years since we split, and we hadn't seen or talked to one another since.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"The gala tomorrow night," I told him. "Mom's in Paris, so Dad needed me to be his date."

His lips curled a bit, almost forming a smile. "Oh, so you'll be in town for a few days?"

"Yeah," I nodded then took a good look at him. "My gods, Nico, look at you: suit, tie, a decent haircut. What happened to you?" He looked…different than he had five years ago. He was super-sexy. Not that he wasn't before, but in that suit…_damn_.

He laughed and tugged at his jacket. "The office has a dress code."

I quirked an eyebrow. "A dress code that requires you to wear a thousand dollar suit? Where do you work?"

"Mullen, Crane, and Davis," he said. "I'm doing my internship there."

I blinked then smiled a proud smile. He actually did it. "You're a lawyer," I beamed.

He shrugged. "Almost. I still have to get through this internship, and speaking of which, I really need to grab the partners their coffees and get back to the office."

"Oh."

"I didn't mean it like that, Rach," he assured me. "I'd really like to catch up, but I just can't right this minute. Uh, you got any plans for dinner?"

I'd thought about just ordering room service and relaxing in my suite, but that wasn't really plans. "No."

"Will you let me buy you dinner tonight?" he asked.

"Um, sure. Where?"

"Uh…" He thought about it for a second. "You still like fried chicken?"

I smiled. "Some things never change."

"Central downtown has the best fried chicken in three states. Meet me there at seven?"

I nodded. "Okay. I'll be there at seven."

"Great. I'm sorry I gotta run, but I'll make it up to you tonight."

"It's okay, Nico. I'll see you tonight."

It was a short walk from my hotel to Central, the restaurant where I was to meet my ex. _My ex_…that didn't even sound right in my head. Time changes things. I'd been angry about Nico leaving for a while. Eventually that anger turned to understanding, and there came a point when I barely gave him a second thought at all. I thought I'd moved on, but in the last year, I'd thought about him often. And seeing him earlier made it painfully clear that I hadn't quite moved on like I thought I had.

I'd dated in the years since Nico and I split. I'd even had a few relationships. None even came close to what Nico and I had and none lasted, but that didn't bother me. I wasn't looking for anything real serious. I was in college and didn't have the time to maintain a steady relationship.

As I approached the restaurant, I found myself wondering if Nico had moved on. If he dated, had a girlfriend, or was even married. By the time I got to Central, I'd gotten myself all worked up over those thoughts and half-expected to find him there with his beautiful wife holding a baby in her arms.

That was not at all what I found. Nico was leaning against the brick wall of the restaurant in the shadows. He'd changed out of his suit and was wearing dark blue jeans and a black tee shirt. His hair wasn't neatly combed like it was earlier; it was a little messy now—just the way I liked it.

He smiled at me and glanced down at his watch. "Five minutes late," he laughed. "Some things never change."

I was always five minutes late for everything. "Guess not," I smiled.

He pulled himself away from the wall and said, "Shall we?"

We got a table for two in the back and ordered a pitcher of beer and a bucket of fried chicken—you know, the finer things in life.

It was awkward sitting down to dinner with my former boyfriend whom I hadn't seen or heard from in five years, but as we started on our second pitcher of beer, we both loosened up. We talked about our lives over the past five years and reminisced about old times.

I told him about giving up the spirit of the Oracle after he left, my time studying art at NYU, and my new job as an instructor at an art studio in Manhattan. He explained how he moved to Washington DC when he got into George Washington University where he studied law and how, after doing a few favors for his dad, Hades pulled a few strings to get him an internship with the prestigious firm of Mullen, Crane, and Davis.

We'd both gone on to do the things we'd always hoped we'd do, but we did them on our own. We'd always assumed we'd do them together, but it didn't work out that way. And as we talked, I wondered why we'd both been so stubborn back then, why we'd let things fall apart, and why we'd never reconnected until now.

Maybe we'd just needed five years to forgive one another, because what we did to each other all those years ago—me choosing the Oracle over him and him walking out on me—wasn't easy to get over. Best friends weren't supposed to do those things to each other. But we had and it was the biggest regret of my life.


	20. Can't Shake You Pt 2

**AN: The first chapter of H&L 5 will be up on May 1.**

Can't Shake You

Part 2

Nico and Rachel

For years I'd hoped that I'd run into Rach again. I never actually thought I would, so when she spilled her coffee all over my shoes yesterday, I was stunned. Not stunned about her spilling her coffee (that wasn't surprising) but stunned that it was _her_.

We had dinner together that night, and I was so nervous about it. I hadn't been so nervous to see her since the day I told her I didn't just love her as a friend, but I was in love with her. And that was over seven years ago. Despite my nervousness, the date—if you could call it that—went great, and I couldn't wait to see her again.

She was attending the gala tonight with her father. It was an invitation only event, but I didn't need an invitation to get in; I could just pop in. And that was my plan—a surprise of sorts. I didn't have a tuxedo, so I put on my best suit and shadow traveled to the gala.

Once there, I grabbed a glass of bubbly to take the edge off, because my nerves…holy crap. The butterflies in my stomach were leaving bruises on my ribs. I hadn't been that way when it came to Rachel for a very long time…and I liked the feeling. The adrenaline rush, the nervousness, the excitement—it made me feel so alive. More alive than I'd felt in years.

When I saw her in that elegant green gown, those feelings multiplied tenfold. She was absolutely gorgeous, and all those feelings I once had for her resurfaced. I never could shake her, shake the memory of her, shake my feelings for her. I scolded myself for having those feelings and for even being here at the gala, because I'd wrecked things between us five years ago. I had no right to expect anything from her…just a sliver of hope.

I waited for the perfect time to approach her, which was when her father wasn't around, because Mr. Dare and I…well, let's just say the man never liked me at all. I was never good enough for his daughter.

She was sitting alone at a table in the corner and the orchestra had just stared playing a slow song. I walked up and held my hand out to her. "May I have this dance?" I asked.

She looked up at me, and her green eyes sparkled. "Nico, what are you doing here?" she asked with a wide smile.

"I wanted to see you in the dress you were bragging about at dinner last night," I said. "You look beautiful in it, by the way."

She took my hand, and I led her out onto the dance floor where we turned slow circles for the length of the song. My dancing skills hadn't improved in the last five years, and she laughed about it, saying I could wield a sword with the utmost precision, but I couldn't slow dance without stepping on her toes.

The very first dance we shared was at the campfire dance at Camp Half-Blood a month before the Giant War began, and I'd stepped on her toes then, too. We barely knew each other then, but not long after that, she'd become my best friend.

As the night went on, we danced several more times, her dad interrogated her about the young man she'd been dancing with (he didn't recognize me, thank the gods), and when it began to get late and her feet were killing her in those heels, I offered to shadow travel her back to her hotel. She accepted the offer.

We popped up right at her hotel suite door, and it took her a second to get her bearings. Shadow travel didn't phase me, but it could be quite intense for everyone else.

Awkwardness ensued standing at her door. I wasn't sure what to do or say, so I took her hand and kissed it like a gentleman would. "Thank you for a wonderful evening, Rachel," I said.

"Thank you," she returned.

"Good night," I smiled, hoping for her to say something other than good night back to me.

"Good night, Nico," she returned the smile. _Damn_.

She walked into her hotel suite and closed the door behind her. I sighed at my complete failure to…do anything and moped toward the elevator.

"Idiot," I scolded myself as I entered the elevator.

I should've kissed her. I should've pushed her up against the door and kissed her like I'd done so many times back all those years ago when we were so crazy about each other. I guess I was just scared. I mean I'd ended it between us five years ago. She could never trust me again, could she? She wouldn't want me back, would she?

"Only one way to find out."

I grabbed the elevator door before it closed and ran down the hall to the door to her suite. I braced myself against the doorframe and took a deep breath. Half-scared to death, I raised my hand to knock, but before I could, the doorknob turned and she opened the door.

She didn't speak; she didn't have to. The look in her eyes said it all. And I kissed her. I reached out and took the nape of her neck, pulling her to my lips. The kiss was deep and full of passion and emotion. Her lips were soft and tasted like cherry lip-gloss, just like they always had. I was soon lost in her kiss, and I didn't want it to end…so I didn't let it.

I took her to bed and did things to her that I'd only dreamed of. I'd wanted to be with her like that for so long. When we were a couple, we couldn't, and it was a wedge that came between us. But things were different now. We were all grown-up, she wasn't the Oracle anymore, and the timing finally seemed to be right for us. One thing that hadn't changed, though, was the way I felt about her.

"I love you, Rach," I told her as I held her so close to me. "I never stopped loving you, not for one second. I was so stupid for leaving you. It was the biggest mistake of my life."

Her arms tightened around me. "We both made mistakes, Nico. But that's in the past."

"Can you…can you forgive me for what I did to us?" I asked.

She ran her fingers through my hair and looked deep into my eyes. "There's nothing to forgive," she said. "We were both being stubborn and selfish back then. We were kids and didn't know any better. We're equally responsible for what happened between us."

"I want to try again, Rach," I told her.

"I'd like that, because I miss what we had. I've missed you, Nico."

I held her tight and kissed her lips. "I've missed you so much."

I never thought I'd fall asleep holding her in my arms ever again. Of course, I'd hoped and dreamed of it, but the reality was that I'd walked away from her, from us. I never expected to be curled up next to her bare body, but here we were. And I couldn't have imagined it any better—not in my wildest dreams.


	21. My Wish

My Wish

Nico and Rachel

Rachel and I had been together for five years on our second and so far successful go round as a couple. We weren't married, but we lived together in a ridiculously nice Manhattan apartment paid for by her trust fund. I guess you could call her my sugar momma.

Speaking of momma, not long after her thirty-second birthday, she started having baby fever. Her clock was ticking, and it was getting louder and louder everyday. She complained about it all the time.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" she'd ask, exasperated. "I don't want a baby, but _dammit_, I do, too."

We'd talked about having kids, but neither of us was particularly interested in having a little one running around. I had to deal with kids on a daily basis working as a juvenile public defender, and Rach had art classes for kids a couple of days a week. And we babysat and spoiled the crap out of our nephew, Chase, all the time. A baby just wasn't on our agenda, but Rachel's biological clock begged to differ.

"It'll pass, Rach," I'd assure her. "It always does. Do we need to borrow Chase for a weekend so you can get over it?"

Taking care of Percy and Annabeth's four year old son for a couple of days was more than enough to remind us why we didn't want a child. Not that Chase was a rambunctious kid—he really wasn't, which was surprising considering who his father was, but kids have to be cared for. All the time. With our busy schedules, it was time we really didn't have.

If she had accidentally gotten pregnant, it wouldn't have been the end of the world. We'd have raised our child in a loving home and spoiled him or her rotten, but the pill did its job and a baby never happened. And neither of us was disappointed about it. We were more than happy just having each other.

Many years later, though, things changed. We were both in our forties, Rach owned her own art studio, I'd been elected as a judge in the juvenile court system, and a young man came into our lives and forever changed us.

I met Noah Hawkins, a son of Prometheus, at Camp Half-Blood when Chiron called me up with an emergency involving an old friend, Thalia Grace. Chase, who was a teenager and living the camp life then, introduced me to Noah. When I shook the boy's hand, I knew there was something special about him. He seemed so familiar to me.

I got to know Noah during my three days at camp while Chase and Thalia's daughter, Lexie, were gone on a quest to recover the stolen Golden Fleece. Noah was fourteen, had been a year-rounder at Camp Half-Blood since he was nine, and he hadn't seen or heard from his mother since she left him at camp five years earlier. He and his mother had lived on the run from his father, the titan Prometheus, since he was a toddler.

His story wasn't particularly unique among demigods, except he not only ran from monsters, he ran from his godly parent as well. Most gods didn't have an interest in their children's lives—not until they needed them to save their asses, anyway. For a titan to not only have a child, but have an interest in him, too, was unheard of. I'd only ever met three other offspring of titans: Chiron, Calypso, and Zoë Nightshade. And none of them had been pursued by their titan father.

Noah had an interesting life aura, a disturbingly familiar aura, which was why I took such an interest in him. He had my sister's aura. Well, it wasn't an exact match, but it was certainly close enough for me to come to the conclusion that Noah was Bianca reborn.

Being a son of Hades, I'd inherited a few special gifts like shadow travel, the ability to read life auras, and the ability to sense if a person had lived a past life. Noah had lived a past life, two in fact, and I was convinced one of those lives had been that of my sister. After all she did for me when we were kids, I knew I had to do something for Noah. He wasn't Bianca, he was his own person, but in just a few days, that kid had filled my heart like no other kid ever had.

I talked to Rachel about Noah, and she was so supportive of my wish to help him. We arranged for him to attend a boarding school in New Jersey so he wouldn't have to stay at camp year-round anymore, and on weekends, holidays, and school breaks, he'd come stay in Manhattan with Rach and me…and sometimes with his best friend, Chase.

Rach and I quickly came to love that boy like he was our own, and within a year of meeting him, we'd become his legal guardians. We couldn't replace his mother, but we wanted him to know he had to people who loved him very much, who would take care of him, and who would do anything for him. He was his mother's son, but he was our son, too.

…

My son (that was how I thought of Noah) came to me for a favor on February 6. I'll never forget the date, because that was the day he broke my heart.

It was so very stupid to feel that way, to feel betrayed and heartbroken, but to be brutally honest, that was how I felt when he asked me to help him find his mother.

Noah came into my life when he was fourteen, and in the last few years, I'd come to love him as my own son. I never wanted kids of my own. Nico and I loved our freedom, loved our careers, and were probably a little selfish, so having children wasn't really for us.

As Nico and I got older, though, everything in our lives slowed down. The fast, go-go-go all the time pace we lived in our twenties and thirties slowed once we hit our forties, and that was when Noah entered the picture. The timing was perfect for us to make a little family, and that was exactly what we did.

We put Noah in a prestigious (and expensive) boarding school in Jersey, turned the spare room in our apartment into his bedroom, and gave him everything loving parents give their children: a home, a family, love, understanding, discipline, an allowance…everything.

And with one request, he made me feel like I hadn't given him enough, hadn't loved him enough, taken care of him enough, or been there for him enough to be his mother. It was ridiculous to feel that way. I wasn't his mother; I was just his guardian. And I hadn't done near what she had for him. It just took me a while to realize that, but once I did, and once I came to terms with my son having two mothers, I no longer felt betrayed or heartbroken. I just wanted to help him find his true mother.

I hired a private investigator to look for his mother, and he was able to find that she'd moved to Chicago and had lived there for two years, but three years ago, she dropped off the map. He wasn't able to locate her. I hired three more investigators, but they came up with the same results.

I had a bad feeling about it all, so I sat down with Noah at the kitchen table, and we talked.

"The investigators haven't been able to find her, Noah. It's like she just disappeared three years ago."

He tugged at the drawstrings on his hoodie to busy himself, and he wouldn't look at me. "You think she's dead," he said, finally.

"Honey, I don't know. I hope she's not, but there's a way to know for sure," I told him.

He nodded. "Nico."

Being a child of the Underworld, Nico could find out real quick if Noah's mother was dead. Nico had never checked out of respect for Noah, but maybe it was time. "It's up to you, Noah," I said. "Just know Nico and I will be here for you no matter what."

He sat in perfect silence for several minutes before looking up at me with watery eyes. "Do it."

The very next day, I sat down with Noah again, but this time I sat with him on the sofa and rocked him in my arms as he cried. His mother was dead.

I knew what he was feeling. I lost my father a few years ago. His death was tough. I was devastated. I curled up with Nico night after night and cried myself to sleep for weeks. Nico was great, though. He would hold me, tell me he loved me, and let me cry. If anyone knew about death and grief, it was Nico, and he knew time was the only thing that would make it better, so he gave me time.

I was going to do the same for Noah. I held his hand and ran my fingers through his light brown hair as he sobbed into the couch cushion. "I love you, Noah," I told him, and he squeezed my hand to let me know he heard me.

I hated seeing him so heartbroken, hated seeing him cry, hated seeing my boy hurting so badly. I wished I could ease his pain, but I knew there wasn't a damn thing I could do to make it better. My heart ached for him, and for several days, I sat and cried with him.

About a week had passed when he decided he was ready to go back to school. I drove him to Jersey and nary a word was said on the drive. I walked him to the administrator's office to check him back in and speak to the administrator about his absence.

Before I left the boarding school, I hugged Noah tight. "Call me if you need anything," I told him.

"I will," he nodded.

I smiled at my son. "Now get to class and learn something."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm going, I'm going."

I turned to leave, but he called after me, "Hey, Rachel." I looked back at Noah, and he smiled, "Love ya."


End file.
